*As the Washington Redskins get closer to the start of another season, Redskins.com will preview all 16 of the team's regular season games, continuing with today's look against the Detroit Lions. *
The Lions stumbled out of the gates early last season, losing seven of their first eight games before finishing the season with a 7-9 record. They look to rebound this year in the first season after Calvin Johnson's retirement.
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The Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions have met 18 times during the regular season. Here's a look back at some of those games.
Result Of Last Game vs. Detroit:** Lost 20-27 on Sept. 22, 2013
Detroit's Key additions: Signed WR Marvin Jones, WR Jeremy Kerley, G Geoff Schwartz, RB Stevan Ridley, S Rafael Bush; Drafted T Taylor Decker (Ohio St.), A'Shawn Robinson (Alabama), C Graham Glasgow (Michigan), S Miles Killebrew (Southern Utah)
Detroit's Key subtractions: WR Calvin Johnson (retired), CB Rashean Mathis (retired), RB Joique Bell (free agent), S Isa Abdul-Quddus (free agent/Dolphins), James Ihedigbo (free agent), DE Jason Jones (free agent), LB Stephen Tulloch (free agent)
Detroit's Pro Bowlers: DE Ezekiel Ansah
The Washington Redskins will return to Ford Field for the first time since 2010 for a Week 7 matchup with the Detroit Lions.
Over the last few seasons, the Lions were known on offense for a prolific passing game that was centered on six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Calvin Johnson.
But after just nine seasons, Johnson in March announced his retirement from football at just 31 years old.
In 135 regular season games, Johnson caught 731 passes for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. The Georgia Tech product set an NFL single-season record for receiving yards with 1,964 in 2012.
He holds nine franchise records for Detroit and was the fastest player in league history to 11,000 receiving yards.
With Johnson gone, the Lions will rely on Golden Tate along with free agent signing Marvin Jones. Former Redskins wide receiver Andre Roberts also joined Detroit shortly after he was released by Washington in May.
Tate has been a productive player for the Lions in his first two seasons with the team, as he recorded his first 1,000-yard season in 2014 and followed it up with a 90-catch, 813-yard 2015 campaign.
Jones joins the Lions after four seasons with the Bengals.
Once again, 2009 first-overall pick Matthew Stafford will lead the Lions out of the huddle.
Stafford has thrown for nearly 26,000 yards and 163 touchdowns to just 98 interceptions in his career. The University of Georgia product has thrown for at least 4,000 yards in each of the last five seasons including a career-high 5,038 yards in 2011.
At running back, the Lions return Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick along with free agent addition Stevan Ridley.
During his rookie season in 2015, Abdullah rushed for a team-high 597 yards and two touchdowns while Riddick was a productive pass-catching threat out of the backfield, finishing with career-high 80 receptions for 697 yards and three touchdowns.
Three rookie offensive linemen will be joining the Lions this year, as first-round pick Taylor Decker, a first-team All-American during his senior year in 2015, third-round Graham Glasgow and fifth-round pick Joe Dahl were all selected in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Defensively, the Lions are led by defensive end Ezekiel Ansah. A first-round pick in 2013, Ansah totaled a career-high 14.5 sacks during the 2015 season along with four fumbles forced.
A season after losing Ndamukong Suh to the Miami Dolphins, Detroit struggled to stop the run and allowed 18 rushing touchdowns, second most in the league.
In a move the Lions well help shore up the issue the team selected Alabama defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson in the second round, who was a consensus All-American last year.
The Lions on Tuesday announced that leading tackler Stephen Tulloch had been released, a move that was likely to happen for some time.
Tahir Whitehead is expected to replace Tulloch in the starting lineup. The fifth-year veteran totaled 50 tackles and two sacks during the 2016 season.
Eight-year veteran Glover Quin will headline the secondary, as he has totaled 14 interceptions in his first three seasons with the Lions.
Redskins 2016 Season Previews--Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 1
--Dallas Cowboys, Week 2
--New York Giants, Week 3
--Cleveland Browns, Week 4
--Baltimore Ravens, Week 5
--Philadelphia Eagles, Week 6
