Detroit Lions AP Photo James Stewart should get more receptions this season in the team's West Coast offense. New coach Marty Mornhinweg is a disciple of the scheme created by Bill Walsh, and is counting on Batch to run it. Most quarterbacks playing in the West Coast struggle to pick it up initially, but that shouldn't be the case with Batch. He has studied the playbook hard this offseason, and is very familiar will the team's key skill players, as all of them have returned from a year ago.
Batch knows when to make the safe play and when to go for it.
He will never win the game for you, but he will rarley lose it for you. He broke his right leg in a non-contact drill before training camp, forcing him to miss all of last preseason. Batch also injured his ribs vs. the Giants on Nov. 19, which forced him out of a few games at the end of the season and helped keep the Lions out of the playoffs. If Batch stays healthy, look for him to excel and be one of the most consistent performers on the team. However, if Batch does go down, the team's backup situation is much better than it was last year.