2015 saw the Lions finish 7-9, 3rd in the NFC North and dead last in rushing offense at 83.4 yards per game. Detroit, headed by gunslinger Matthew Stafford, is a team heavily reliant on the passing game and has been for years.
Since Barry Sanders’ retirement after the 1998 season, only 3 Lions running backs have broken the 1,000 yard mark. James Stewart did it twice (2000,2002), Kevin Jones ran for 1,133 yards in 2004, and in the last decade only Reggie Bush, who had over 1,500 yards from scrimmage in 2013, has met the mark. This is an issue that has been addressed over the years but never saw sustained success.