It’s hard to take NFL preseason developments too seriously. The 0-16 Detroit Lions from two years ago had a perfect 4-0 preseason record that season. Clearly it’s not about the wins and losses.

But there are a few things we can reasonably conclude based on what transpired over the past month.

The offensive weapons surrounding quarterback Matthew Stafford are plentiful. This was probably what former team president Matt Millen had in mind for the offense five years ago when he was loading up on flashy running backs and receivers. The difference this time is at quarterback, where Stafford possesses every intangible and ounce of leadership that Joey Harrington could only dream of.

Jahvid Best didn’t get many touches in the preseason, but he didn’t really need them to flash his game-changing speed and quickly become the closest thing the Lions have had to Barry Sanders since he left. Detroit found itself a playmaker that defenses will have to write gameplans around. The same could never be said about the likes of Kevin Smith or Kevin Jones.

The offensive line allowed just three sacks in four preseason games, routinely providing Stafford with plenty of time to throw downfield. Three sacks used to be the typical first half total in recent years. A healthy Stephen Peterman and the addition of Rob Sims at left guard appear to have solidified the five-man unit.

Ndamukong Suh looked good in game action, drawing lots of double teams and displaying a mean streak and fiery demeanor on the field that the team has lacked. Opposing quarterbacks like poor Jake Delhomme will not be quick to forget that Suh will try and rip their heads off if he gets the chance. The same probably goes for the rest of a much improved defensive line. New additions such as Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams have made that a strong unit.

But as easy as it is to identify the strengths of the team, the weaknesses are just as apparent.

In the secondary, the team only elected to bring back one player from last year’s group that ranked dead last in pass defense. Wholesale changes here can only help, but the team is probably guilty of going with the quantity over quality method and hoping a few of the newcomers stick.

The bottom line is that the Lions really have no chance at postseason contention just yet, but the brand of football the team is likely to put on the field this year will excite the fans. Every game might be a shootout with their promising offense and porous defense.

We can only hope that Detroit ends up with the last possession sometimes and can exact a little payback for years of heartbreaking losses.