One Pride - DavidTheGreat's Detroit Lions (Madden 16)

[DavidTheGreat20]

Hello, everyone! In case you didn't know, I am DavidTheGreat20, back for another dynasty. Some of you know that from August 2015-January 2016, I ran a Michigan Wolverines dynasty for a little over a season, turning them around quickly. Well, this time, I've embarked on a new journey, and that is taking the reigns of my favorite NFL team, the Detroit Lions, and reversing their misfortunes of the past 50 years. Motown greats like Barry Sanders, Herman Moore, and Lem Barney all enjoyed personal success, but all three combined for 0 Super Bowl appearances.

That's why I'm here. I'm going under the persona of lifelong fan David Teegee (get it?), who experienced more lows than highs rooting for the Lions. Inheriting a roster full of studs like Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Ezekiel Ansah among others, the main problem is finding an identity. Are they a West Coast team or a Power Running scheme? Are they an aggressive 3-4 or a conservative 4-3?

Settings:

Game: Madden NFL 16
Console: PlayStation 4
Difficulty: All-Pro
Quarter Length: 9 minutes
Game Speed: Normal
Accelerated Clock: Off
Starting at Regular Season 2015

Sliders: JoshC1977's M16 Sliders




#OnePride

[DavidTheGreat20]

Yearly Team Recaps + NFL Recaps

2015: 8-7-1

[DavidTheGreat20]

Rivalry Game Records

vs. Chicago Bears

All-Time Record: 71-96-5
Last Game (2015): Detroit 38, Chicago 17

vs. Green Bay Packers

All-Time Record: 68-98-7
Last Game (2015): Detroit 18, Green Bay 21

vs. Minnesota Vikings

All-Time Record: 36-71-2
Last Game (2015): Detroit 21, Minnesota 27

[DavidTheGreat20]

Yearly Rosters + Scheme

SCHEME:

Offense: Vertical Offense (Air Coryell)
Defense: Attacking 3-4

QB: My quarterbacks don't have to be speedsters, but have enough mobility to get out of the pocket and gain some yards. As a passer, arm strength is a must. Deep ball accuracy should be decent, as I tend to stretch the field vertically.

RB: Versatility trumps everything else. Not only do you need to be proficient running the ball, catching the ball out of the backfield is also beneficial to thriving in the system. Speed along with elusiveness is the main priority.

FB: Rarely used, but needs to be a decent blocker and/or receiver.

WR: My receivers need to be an all-around threat. Hands is as important as speed. Like I said before, I use speed to stretch out a defense. Catching the ball in traffic is a big must as well, as receivers in the system tend to get hit more often than not up the middle.

TE: Blocking does not matter. As long as the tight end has decent speed and good hands, they'll be fine. An important skill position for the offense along with WR and RB.

OL: I like pass blockers on the ends to protect the quarterback. The big uglies in the middle need to be good run blockers and decent pass blockers.

DL: I like to use the edge rusher ala Von Miller. Because the NFL is a pass-heavy league, a good pass rush is a must. Defensive tackles must be good at stopping both the run and getting to the quarterback.

LB: Linebackers get the most action on my defense. Normally, I'd have two pass rushing types paired with the run stoppers. Prototypes are fairly common on the team.

CB: Cornerbacks need to be well rounded. I mix it up frequently between man and zone, but man coverage is more important the way the defense is ran.

S: Safeties have to be able to make plays, whether in coverage or rushing. I like my safeties to have high hit power and zone coverage. Speed isn't necessarily a must, but it's a plus.

K/P: Well balanced kickers and punters is the way to go. Not too much leg, but lots of accuracy is the key.

2016:

Detroit Lions Depth Chart - 2016-17
Regular Offense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
WR	Golden Tate	Phillip Dorsett	Darrius Heyward-Bey
TE	Eric Ebron	Niles Paul	Demetrius Harris
LT	Corey Robinson	Cedric Ogbuehi	Caddareus Justice (R)
LG	Larry Warford	Laken Tomlinson
C	Brian De La Puente	Travis Swanson
RG	Riley Reiff	Laken Tomlinson
RT	Nico Perkins (R)	Riley Reiff	Caddareus Justice (R)
WR	Rishard Matthews	LeVeon Grimes (R)	De'Anthony Thomas
QB	Laquon Hart (R)	Dominque Davis	Robert Griffin III
FB	Michael Burton	Eric Ebron	Ameer Abdullah
HB	Lamar Miller	Ameer Abdullah	Cory Vaughn (R)	Denard Robinson
Base 3-4 Defense
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LDE	Jeremy Mincey	Devin Taylor	Larry Webster III
NT	Brandon Mebane	Dallas James (R)	Tyrunn Walker	Gabe Wright
RDE	Ezekiel Ansah	Devin Taylor	Dion Jordan
LOLB	Dion Jordan	Deiontrez Mount	Josh Bynes
LILB	Sean Weatherspoon	Josh Bynes
RILB	Deonne Bucannon	Damian Swain (R)
ROLB	DeAndre Levy	Josh Bynes	Damian Swain (R)
CB	Darius Slay	Rashaud Howell (R)	Nevin Lawson
SS	Quandre Diggs	Bacarri Rambo
FS	Glover Quin	Rafael Bush
CB	Jeremy Lane	Alex Carter	Dondre Grimes (R)
Special Teams
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
K	Matt Prater	Sam Martin
P	Sam Martin	Matt Prater
PR	De'Anthony Thomas	Denard Robinson
KR	De'Anthony Thomas	Denard Robinson
LS	Larry Warford	Brian De La Puente

2015: End-of-Season Roster Update

[DavidTheGreat20]

You are now free to post!

[DavidTheGreat20]

Lions Release 2015 Schedule

[DavidTheGreat20]

Season Preview: What to Watch for in the 2015 Detroit Lions

Allen Park, MI - Going into the 2015 season, the Detroit Lions, who finished at a strong 11-5 last year, have a lot of work to do to get to those heights again. Not only do they lose big impact players like Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, their unfavorable first half schedule could cause some problems. Their strength-of-schedule is ranked #7 in terms of toughness, with marquee matchups against the Broncos at home on Sunday Night, the Seahawks at CenturyLink, and the Cardinals at home in consecutive weeks.

However, the Lions' owner, David Teegee, does not buy into the notion that this year will be much tougher:

"Yes, we are playing with the cream of the crop. But that's not an excuse for us in the event that we lose. Our city needs a winning team. If we can beat these teams in front of the home crowd, It'll be a helluva season."

Here are some notable storylines to follow in the upcoming season:

Will Ameer Abdullah become the back Detroit's always wanted?

Detroit's second-round pick this year, running back Ameer Abdullah, started off his career with a bang, garnering a ton of preseason hype starting with his 45-yard run against the Jets where he exploded out of his cutback and turned upfield.

New York's head coach Todd Bowles was very impressed, going far enough as to compare him (in terms of quickness) to the great Barry Sanders.

"He's about as quick as Barry Sanders. Not saying he is Barry Sanders, but he's got that quickness."

But both training camp chatter and college success means little. If Abdullah is to finally be the answer at running back Detroit has been searching for while finding only heartbreak and disappointment, he needs to show his skill set translates to the next level.

Can the Offensive Line Improve?

The offensive line has always been the problem for the Lions. Despite a horrendous O-line last year, the team was able to make the playoffs, albeit losing to Dallas in the first round.

The offseason brought some optimism for Detroit, as in the draft they traded down to acquire Manny Ramirez from the Broncos and draft promising guard Laken Tomlinson out of Duke to solidify the line.

However, there are some holes. Left tackle Riley Reiff is average at best, center Travis Swanson hasn't proved himself yet, and right tackle LaAdrian Waddle was cut after mightily struggling in his recovery from knee surgery. Will the line get better? Or will it get worse?

How will Matthew Stafford fare in 2015?

Matt Stafford had one of the most efficient seasons of his career in 2014, but also had the least exciting, a far cry from the gunslinging 2013 Stafford. Despite the lesser amount of interceptions, his overall stats held him back, and ultimately led to the offense being weaker than years past.

All of this is in part due to offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. Known for his role as a quarterbacks coach in New Orleans, his conservative style does not satisfy the front office, especially owner David Teegee.

"I've seen enough from him, and I'll give him one game. If Stafford shows some mighty improvement, then maybe he stays. If Matt craps the bed, he's gone."

The season starts this Sunday when the Lions show up to San Diego to face the Chargers.

[DavidTheGreat20]

First game will be up tonight!