One area the Detroit Lions offense struggled mightily with last season was in short yardage. The Lions’ running game simply could not be relied upon to convert those third-and-ones and goal-line carries. In those situations, Detroit often fell back to their passing game making their offense one-dimensional.
In 2017, a majority of the Lions carries were split between running back Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick. Both players are considered to be more finesse backs who rarely find success between the tackles. On most teams, neither one of them would be considered a workhorse or lead back, as both seem more suited to be change-of-pace backs instead.