This is a prove-it year for the newest regime of the Detroit Lions, as owner Martha Ford told head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn that she expects the team to be a playoff contender in 2020.

After going 9-22-1 in his first two seasons, if Patricia cannot lead the Lions to a playoff spot, then he may be looking for a new gig in 2021. In order for him and the Lions to make it to that coveted playoff spot, here are the biggest questions Detroit needs to answer.

D'Andre Swift, Lions
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With the addition of D'Andre Swift, will the Lions finally have a consistent running game?

The tortured fan base of the Detroit Lions saw the team go almost five full seasons without a single-game 100-yard rushing performance before Kerryon Johnson did it in a Week 3 win against the Patriots that has arguably been the best game of Patricia's tenure.

Part of the reasons have had to rely on airing out the ball over the last decade has been because of the inconsistency of that running game. But a backfield of Johnson and 2020 second-round pick D'Andre Smith gives the Lions a formidable one-two punch with enough power and speed to make an impact and keep defenses guessing.

The Lions will have to experiment with the running-back-by-committee strategy next season. But that dynamic duo combined with a goal-line ball carrier in Bo Scarborough and an above-average offensive line led by one of the best young interior linemen in Frank Ragnow could give the Lions a new wrinkle in the offense that could push it an untapped level of success.

Matthew Stafford, Lions

Can Matthew Stafford fully recover from his back injury and make a Comeback Player of the Year push?

The glimmer of 2019 playoff hopes for the Detroit Lions went completely dark when Matthew Stafford injured his back mid-season and he has not played contact football in over six months.

Stafford was playing at an MVP-caliber level before his back injury, and many have predicted that he can reach that status again. Some have even implied that he could be the best quarterback in the NFC North.

Back injuries can linger because they affect so much of the body, particularly for a quarterback who has to scramble out of the pocket a lot.

Bad back injuries have killed a lot of NFL careers, but if there is one NFL quarterback who has proven to be tough, play through injuries, and come back from bleak odds to win, it's certainly Stafford. If he can return to elite quarterback status, he can help the Lions come back and win a few games and surprise the NFL.

Lions, Matt Patricia

Can the Lions defense improve enough for Matt Patricia to retain his job?

When Patricia first took the job in 2018, many thought that he would transform the Lions defense in a positive way, as he was seen as the defensive technician behind a few key New England Patriots Super Bowl runs.

In disappointing fashion, the defense behind Patricia has remained stagnant, and has in some ways gotten even worse. As Peter King of NBC Sports points out, the Lions offense will be good, but Patricia stills needs to prove himself and improve the defense if the Lions want to make a playoff appearance:

“Patricia’s D needs to show progress after allowing a gaudy 24.5 points a game in his first two years, not the kind of performance the Lions expected when they hired the Belichick disciple two years ago. He’ll need strong performances from a couple of former Patriots who just arrived this year — instinctive safety Duron Harmon and roving linebacker Jamie Collins. I won’t be shocked if Detroit contends, because the Lions will score. The big question is the D.”

This is a make-it-or-break-it year for Patricia, who all of the NFL knows will fall into old tricks: He will play man coverage, have three or four corners on the field and try to get the most out of unknown pass rushers by sending them on delayed blitzes off the edge.

If the defense continues to be mediocre under Patricia's watch, he will most likely be looking for a defensive coordinator job in 2021.

But if he can get those most out of young studs like Jeff Okudah, Jahlani Tavai and DaShawn Hand to go along with a quality offensive attack, the Lions may suddenly be in the running to win double-digit games this season.