The running back position is a bit of a question mark for the Lions, but one Detroit running back says there’s no question that the Lions’ offense is in great shape.
Kevin Smith, who didn’t even sign with the Lions until halfway through the season but still finished second on the team with 356 rushing yards last year, said that as long as Calvin Johnson is on the field, there is guaranteed to be room to run.
“The sky is the limit,” Smith said, via MLive.com. “I think with the way Calvin plays . . . you have to start with his play. With the receiving game and passing game, all across the board from the receivers to the tight ends, you want that type of threat to open up the run game.”
The Lions don’t run the ball much (they were 31st in the league last year with 356 rushing attempts), but the threat of their passing game makes them effective when they do run (they averaged 4.3 yards a carry). That says more about Johnson than it does about their running backs. It’s nice of Smith to put the credit where it belongs.