The Lions have one hidden Week 1 advantage that could make life much easier on their young offensive line
Detroit’s young offensive line was overwhelmed by communication issues in last year’s road opener. Sunday’s setup couldn’t be much more different.
The Detroit Lions offensive line struggled mightily with communication in last year’s Week 1 loss at Green Bay. Blown protections, players blocking the wrong defenders, visible breakdowns all over the field. It was a rough start for a young group trying to find its footing. But Detroit gets a built-in advantage this time around, and Lions coach Dan Campbell pointed it out on Monday in a way that deserves more attention than it will probably get.
The Lions open the 2026 season at home. That matters more than you think.
Dan Campbell on why playing at home helps the young offensive line
Here’s what Campbell had to say:
“We are playing at home. That’s always going to help, you know, with the young [player]. Last year, we were playing with basically two rookies up front, a new center, and in that regard, even though Graham (Glasgow) had played quite a bit. So playing at home helps a little bit just in that regard. And then we’re a little more experienced. I mean Tate’s (Ratledge) got another year under his belt. Blake Miller is taking some pretty good reps up to this point. Now, he’s still— it’s not like he’s going to be perfect. That’s not what it’s about. It’s about being consistent and get a little bit better every rep, every time you play. That’s the nature of being a young player. That always is going to happen. You know, and then you got (Christian) Mahogany, you got (Ben) Bartch over there, and Juice (Scruggs) at center. So I just, I feel like we’ve seen a lot in training camp. We faced a lot of pressure. We’ve done a lot of, I feel like, very stressful, strenuous situations. We always do a lot, but I felt like, you know, I threw a lot at our coordinators and the team, and I felt like we got what we were looking for out of it.”
The hidden value of a home opener
That goes a long way. You have Tate Ratledge going into his second year looking every bit the future Pro Bowl, All-Pro right guard. You have Penei Sewell at left tackle, no problems there. You have Blake Miller with four years of starting experience and Juice Scruggs at center with NFL reps under his belt.
Campbell did make an interesting note at left guard, though. He still won’t name Christian Mahogany the starter outright. He brought up Ben Bartch, which points back to an article we wrote last week about how Mahogany could be one big mistake away from losing the job. We’ll see how that plays out.
But here’s the thing: all the talent upgrades and experience gains are what you expect. Better players, more athletic blockers, a group built to be more physical and effective downfield. That’s the stuff everyone talks about. The part people don’t think about is the communication advantage of playing at Ford Field in Week 1.
When the Lions offense is on the field at home, the fans see a giant screen telling them to be quiet. You hope they listen. But even if they don’t go completely silent, it’s never going to be as loud as Lambeau Field was in Week 1 last year, when that young offensive line had to figure things out on the fly in a hostile environment.
Preseason reps and a tougher training camp make a difference too
The other factor working in the Lions’ favor is that these guys have been together all summer and actually played in the preseason. Campbell admitted last year that he probably should have given rookies like Ratledge and Mahogany preseason reps but didn’t. This year, Detroit did all of that. The offensive line also faced a strong defensive line throughout training camp, which wasn’t the case a year ago.
This offensive line should be way more ready than it was last year. The communication piece alone — made easier by a home crowd instead of a road environment — makes this group more equipped to handle Week 1 than it was against Green Bay.
Week 2 brings a trip to Buffalo and a brand new stadium, and that’s going to be a different challenge. But Detroit gets right back home for Week 3. The schedule works out nicely for them. Let’s see how they gel.
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