Early in the 2018 regular season, it looked like the investments made by general manager Bob Quinn in the offensive line were finally starting to pay off. Recovering from a putrid opener against the New York Jets, the unit repeatedly posted solid outings to earn praise from national outlets in September and October. Pass protection was great, the team finally found a rushing game, and Detroit was turning the season around with wins against prestige franchises like the Patriots and Packers.
Then the wheels fell off, so to speak: the vaunted run game that posted 200 yards on the road disappeared.