Lions mailbag: Does the offensive line need a personnel change?

The Detroit Lions will only go as far as their offensive line takes them. That seems abundantly clear when looking at the team’s four losses this season. In those four games, the Lions have:

• Been sacked 12 times (3.0 per game)
• Rushed for just 70.8 yards per game
• Rushed for 3.3 yards per carry

Meanwhile, in their six wins, they have:

• Been sacked eight times (1.3 per game)
• Rushed for 169.7 yards per game
• Rushed for 5.2 yards per carry

The Lions have shown they’re capable of being the explosive offense they’ve been in the past, but they’ve failed to do that against some of the better defenses in the league. Given that the Lions have a tough schedule down the stretch and if they make the playoffs, they’ve got some tough defenses on the docket, something needs to be done. Detroit needs to do a better job against strong defensive fronts, and that likely involves some sort of adjustment.

At this point, some are wondering if there needs to be a lineup change. On this week’s Midweek Mailbag podcast, Erik Schlitt and I discuss exactly that. Is it time for a change at center? Would it make sense to move or bench rookie Tate Ratledge? Has Trystan Colon done enough to warrant a spot in the starting lineup? Or is it too risky to reset the chemistry along that offensive front?

Based on some recent comments, it doesn’t seem likely Dan Campbell is all that interested in making a personnel change.

“I believe in these guys, man. I do,” Campbell said Monday. “I just think the more they play together and they mesh, and we just do things that we do well, and look, every game’s different. Every game’s different. There’s a couple of things I wish yesterday maybe I do differently, and just the way that we go about attacking those guys. Just a little bit that I think maybe can help our guys, too.”

Still, it’s worth at least considering a shakeup, and we discuss on that on this week’s show.

Other topics this week include:

• Is Dan Campbell to rigid in his fourth-down strategy?
• What’s going on with Amon-Ra St. Brown?
• Will the Lions be able to adapt to playoff contenders in time?
• What is the most realistic and preferred path to the Super Bowl?
• Where are Brian Branch’s game-changing plays this year?
• When is it time to hit the panic button?
• How troubling are special teams?

You can listen to the entire show below or via any of your favorite podcasting platforms by simply searching “Pride of Detroit.”

The Midweek Mailbag is also available to watch on our YouTube and Twitch pages. This week’s episode features a lot of Movember shenanigans, including a Donald Duck impression, Jeremy nearly giving himself a concussion, and a Vegemite mustache.