The Lions don’t need much reminding of what a bad opening act looks like up front. Last season’s trip to Lambeau Field brought a rough first impression for a rebuilt offensive line, and Sunday’s season opener against the New Orleans Saints will be the next chance to show that lesson stuck.
Detroit managed only 46 rushing yards on 22 carries in that 27-13 loss, and Jared Goff was taken down four times. The Packers’ pass rush, with Micah Parsons, Rashan Gary and Devonte Wyatt leading the charge, repeatedly exposed the kind of communication issues and inexperience that can unravel an offense before it ever gets rolling.
This time, the Lions get to start at home, and coach Dan Campbell believes that matters.
“Last year, we were playing with basically two rookies up front and a new center, in a regard, even though Graham [Glasgow] had played quite a bit,” he said Monday. “So playing at home helps a little bit just in that regard.”
That doesn’t mean the challenge is light. The Saints bring a front that can make life miserable in a hurry.
Chase Young has quietly become one of the NFL’s best edge rushers, Carl Granderson had six sacks last season and Kaden Elliss is among the league’s most dangerous blitzers. Cam Jordan is also coming off a 10.5 sack season, so Detroit’s new-look line will be tested right away.
There are encouraging signs, at least on paper. Second-year right guard Tate Ratledge has reportedly had a strong training camp, and Sunday gives him his first real chance to prove that progress has carried over. Campbell pointed to the group’s added seasoning as a reason for optimism.
“We're a little more experienced,” Campbell said. “Tate's got another year under his belt. Blake Miller has taken some pretty good reps up to this point.”
Miller, Detroit’s first-round pick, appears set to make his NFL debut at right tackle. The Lions liked him because he came into the league with a heavy résumé from Clemson, where he piled up 54 career starts, but that doesn’t mean the first test will be clean. Campbell knows the rookie will have his moments.
“Now, he’s not going to be perfect,” Campbell said of Miller. That's not what it's about.
It’s about being consistent and getting a little bit better every rep, every time you play. That's the nature of being a young player.”
The left guard spot is still unsettled, with Campbell declining to name a starter between Christian Mahogany and offseason pickup Ben Bartch. Mahogany may have the edge since he was the man there last season, but his 2025 play left room for a change, and the team could turn to Bartch at any point.
Then there’s the Penei Sewell move. One of the best players in football since arriving in Detroit, Sewell is shifting from right tackle to left tackle, a position he played in college. Even so, changing sides is never a minor adjustment, and how smoothly he handles it is another piece of the puzzle.
The middle of the line has its own wrinkle, too. Detroit’s top free-agent addition at center, Cade Mays, is out until at least October with a wrist injury, which means trade pickup Juice Scruggs will handle the spot instead. It’s not the flashiest solution, but given the circumstances, it’s a workable one.
So is this group really more experienced than the one that stumbled out of the gate a year ago? On paper, there are still plenty of new parts to sort through.
Miller has to be ready immediately. Sewell’s transition needs to hold.
The left guard job remains open. And Ratledge, for all the optimism around him, is still only in his second season.
What the Lions cannot repeat is the sluggish start, the weak run game and the shaky protection that defined Week 1 last year. Campbell says the work has been done to prepare them for exactly this kind of pressure.
“I feel like we've seen a lot in training camp,” Campbell said. “We've faced a lot of pressure.
We've done a lot of very stressful, strenuous situations. We always do a lot, but I felt like I threw a lot at our coordinators and the team, and I felt like we got what we were looking for out of it.”
In Other News...
Lions Receiver Decision Suddenly Carries Bigger Weight For The Opener
The Lions receiver room looked a little thinner than expected when Detroit trimmed down to four wideouts on its initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season, but the first-week picture is already taking shape. Dan Campbell said veteran Tom Kennedy is expected to play in Week 1, and the staff is looking at him not just as a depth option on offense but as a possible kick returner too.
Dave Fipp has also weighed in on the return-game plan, underscoring that kickoff and punt duties are part of the bigger roster puzzle rather than separate afterthoughts. With only a handful of receivers on the active roster, Kennedys role carries more significance than it might have in camp, and the opener will offer the first real look at how Detroit intends to balance his value on offense with what he can do on special teams. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Receiver Depth Suddenly Looks Like A Real Roster Concern
The Lions entered the week with a thinner wide receiver room than they probably expected after roster cuts, and the picture looks more important when you zoom out beyond Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Detroit is carrying just four receivers right now, which leaves little margin if injuries or another shakeup hit, and it has pushed the depth conversation into the foreground as the team tries to protect an offense that relies heavily on timing and spacing.
One name that naturally comes up in that context is Darius Slayton, who was just released by the Giants and has a history with Lions passing game coordinator Mike Kafka. He would bring experience and another layer to the position, but Detroit is also working within financial limits that could make a move tricky. For a team that wants to stay aggressive without overextending, the fit is obvious enough to keep watching, even if the path to actually making it happen is not especially clean. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Goff And Detroits New OC Face Immediate Pressure In Week 1
The Lions have spent the offseason trying to keep the offensive machine humming, and the early signs from Jared Goffs partnership with new coordinator Drew Petzing have been encouraging. Dan Campbell has praised the way the two have worked together, with Goff also speaking positively about Petzings play-calling and the confidence he has brought to the job, a useful sign for a team that wants continuity even with a new voice shaping the offense.
Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints will be the first real test of how quickly that relationship translates from the meeting room to the field. Petzing does not need to reinvent anything for Detroit, but he does need to show he can fit into what Goff does best while still leaving his own imprint, and that balance is already going to matter when the lights come on. [Read more 🡒]