Three reasons Detroit Lions fans should calm down

The running game

Has it been so long since there was a decent running game in Detroit that a bunch of guys getting four yards per carry in a pre-season game means everything is fixed to the fanbase?

LeGarrette Blount was exactly as advertised, I will grant that. He got the ball to the line of scrimmage whether there was good blocking in front of him or not. Believe it or not kids, sometimes it is actually better to run into your lineman than to dance around looking for daylight. Often no daylight comes.

That has been a huge problem for the Lions running backs. It is not, and never will be, a problem for Blount. When he does move laterally it is at a 45-degree angle to the line, not a 90-degree angle. He is always moving forward.

Ameer Abdullah looked like a legitimate NFL player, but before we get too excited let’s look at something. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry last year in the preseason. He always looks good against players that lack his athleticism.

It was when he had to take on guys he couldn’t dance around with his “jump cut three times before the line of scrimmage” running style that his season fell apart. He looked fine Thursday night, but crowning him as “back” is entirely premature. If Ameer Abdullah could only play against NFL backups, he would make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Unfortunately week one will not afford him that opportunity as it did in 2016.

Kerryon Johnson, a second-round pick, broke the tackles of a bunch of guys that won’t ever play a down in the NFL. It is great to finally have a back with speed that doesn’t go down off a hit with no wrap from the tackler, but starting NFL players tend to hit and also wrap.

Pre-season statistics mean absolutely nothing. The first pre-season game means absolutely nothing. There are no trends, there is very little to analyze. We do not have any meaningful data upon which to base our hopes and dreams.