The Detroit Lions have been bad for years and have a lot of work to do in order to jump back from the mess that they have found themselves in. Not too far removed from the awful 0-16 season, the Lions didn’t fare much better in the 2009 season. The Lions were easily the worst team in the NFC North Division and one of the worst teams in the entire NFL. Only the 1-15 St. Louis Rams managed to finish with a worse record than the Detroit Lions in 2009. Ultimately, the Lions finished with a record of 2-14 on the season.

These poor results can be attributed to both the offensive and defensive sides of the game. Offensively the Lions finished with just 262 points on the season. This total was the 3rd worst total in the NFC. The only teams to fare worse offensively in the NFC were the St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. These offensive results will not get the Lions far. Despite the fact that their offense was bad, it was not nearly as poor as their defensive was in comparison.

The defense of the Detroit Lions surrendered a whopping 494 points in the 2009 season. This total is by far the highest total in the entire NFL. In the NFL only the New Orleans Saints managed to score more than 494 points on the season. This really puts into perspective just how poor the defense of the Lions was.

Often times the first thing you can look at when evaluating a poor defense is the line. If the war is lost on the defensive line, it makes it very tough for the rest of the defense to step up and make plays. The defensive line for the Lions was definitely a weakness. Their line struggled to put any pressure on the quarterback. Without pressure on the quarterback it makes it very difficult for the defense to cover receivers for very long.

The good news for the Lions is that they managed to pick up one of the best defensive linemen in the draft this year, Ndamukong Suh. Suh, out of Nebraska, is one of the highest profile linemen to come out of the draft in the recent past. He has pass rushing skills and also has the ability to help out on the run. He will be a big boost for the defense.

The offense also added help. Jahvid Best, a running back from California was picked up with the 30th pick in the draft. He is a very explosive back that will be a big help to Matt Stafford. The key for the Lions is to find a way for Stafford and Best to gain confidence early. Over time young players at skill position can lose confidence if they aren’t able to find success early in their careers. This year will be crucial for the Lions as they try to develop these young players. Look for the Lions to be an improved team this season. They won’t finish with a 2-14 record, but they also probably won’t be a playoff team just yet.