The Lions made big strides this season, mainly because they made it a priority to build their offensive line. In his first season as Detroit’s GM, Bob Quinn drafted two starting, high-potential offensive lineman in the first and third round of the 2016 Draft. Graham Glasgow and Taylor Decker both had very good rookie seasons as Detroit surprised most national analysts by finishing 9-7. In the Lions’ Playoff loss to the Seahawks, the difference in the game was Seahawks’ ability to run the football.
Yes, the Lions were without two starting offensive lineman in Travis Swanson and Riley Reiff, which unquestionably hurt them.