Kerryon Johnson Jersey | Forum

ALLEN PARK Matthew Stafford Jersey , Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have won two straight and three of four in large part because they finally have a running game.In Sunday’s 32-21 victory over the Miami Dolphins, the Lions churned out 248 yards on the ground, their highest single-game rushing output in 21 years.The Lions averaged 7.1 yards per carry. Kerryon Johnson ran for 158 yards, including a 71-yard burst in the first quarter.It was the first time all season that the Lions had executed more run plays than pass plays in a game.“I think just as a team it makes it a lot better for everyone,” Johnson said. “I feel like (Lions quarterback) Matt (Stafford) feels like he doesn’t have as much pressure on him. Our O-line knows what they’re capable of doing. Our defense knows that we can go on sustained drives.“I think as a team it just helps everybody mentally, and obviously it helps us win games.”It was their best rushing performance since the Lions ran for 249 yards in a 32-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 23, 1997. Barry Sanders rambled for 216 yards in that game. It was also the first time Detroit averaged at least 7.0 yards per carry on at least 35 attempts since Nov. 24, 1991.Johnson had 100 rushing yards in the first half, becoming the first Lions player to do so since Reggie Bush on Sept. 29, 2013. Johnson joined Isaiah Crowell as the only NFL running backs to rush for 100 yards in the first half of a game this season. Johnson also became only the fifth rookie running back to have multiple 100-yard rushing games in Lions history.This is the same team that ran for just 39 yards in a season-opening 48-17 loss to the New York Jets.“We’re always going to try to be balanced the best we can,” Lions coach Matt Patricia said. “We want to be able to run it if we have to and throw it when we have to do that. It was good to see the run game be productive.”“Look, when you go out and you can execute and do it the right way Darius Slay Jersey , it looks really good. We’ve seen it when it doesn’t look so good the other way.”Detroit is 11th in the NFL in rushing yardage, averaging 122.3 yards per game. The Lions were last in the league in rushing in 2017, averaging 76.3 yards per game.That forced the team too often to be reliant on Stafford’s arm. He finished fourth among QBs in pass attempts last season. This season, Stafford is 19th in the NFL in pass attempts.“As an offensive lineman, you know if you can establish the run game, you don’t have to sit there and drop back and pass the ball 50 times,” Lions left tackle Taylor Decker said. “That’s part of the game, but that’s not always the most fun for an offensive lineman.”Run-blocking, where they get to attack the defense, is a far more enjoyable experience for the offensive linemen.“When you’re able to establish a run game, that opens up everything else for us,” Decker said. “It’s going to open up our play-action pass. That’s going to open up our passing on third down Marvin Jones Jersey , because we’re going to have a lot more calls to go to.”As good as their ground game has been, the Lions believe that there are more yards to be gained.“There are definitely plays that we see on film that we could have done a better job,” Patricia said. “We could have blocked better, we could have identified better, to get that extra yardage that was left out on the field.” The polarizing prospect has too much promise to overlook."Draft season is too long. In the four months between the end of the season and the first round of the draft, hundreds of college prospects are evaluated, praised, torn apart, and reevaluated constantly. Just take a look at what draft analysis were mocking in January compared to now.Sure, plenty has changed between now and then. The Combine happened, and so did Pro Days. News has come out, which is rarely good Kerryon Johnson Jersey , regarding injuries, character issues, and who knows what else. And there have been rumors... there is never a shortage of rumors.But while all of this information can be helpful in the right context, it also creates this weird environment where what seemed appealing just a few short weeks ago is suddenly repulsive. When you are stuck sitting on your hands for a couple months, it only takes one tweet to start a storm.The need for this preamble should be obvious. Perhaps no name called during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft would create a more divisive reaction amidst the Detroit fan base than Michigan Wolverines EDGE Rashan Gary. 99 percent of you already have a formed opinion about the polarizing lineman, but that will not stop me from trying to bring us all together.It seems like the only way to advocate for Gary is to bat down all of the criticisms against him. Questions about his health, college production, and test-taking ability have mounted by the day, and they all have varying levels of legitimacy. However, almost every single prospect has similar questions coming into the draft, but few have this level of potential.Gary is an athletic freak, which might somehow be underselling it. Rarely does a player of this caliber come along Amani Oruwariye Detroit Lions Jersey , and one has to imagine that a defensive coach like Matt Patricia would love the chance to throw him into the fray. While Gary did not post the most impressive numbers in college, his potential is through the roof. If you do not think Patricia is capable of forming him into an absolute monster, then you might as well give up completely on this defense.What many people overlook is that Gary makes those around him better, which results in lesser individual stats. He can play all over the line—do you think this organization values versatility?—and is strong at both setting the edge and getting into the backfield. With his athletic traits, it is not often that he will be overmatched.Yes, Gary has room to grow, but just imagine him for a second with a coaching staff that knows how to both scheme and develop. If he were wearing any other college colors, it would be clear how can’t-miss of a prospect he is. The Lions are one piece away from one of the top defensive lines in the entire league. Gary is exactly the player to take Detroit to that level.