Batch had a good week of practice and seems sharper. Some significant changes have been made in the Lions' offense. On the offensive line, center Mike Compton has moved to left tackle, where Tony Ramirez had a tough time in his one starter as the replacement for the injured Ray Roberts. Eric Beverly will start at center. Ron Rivers, who has missed 10 games since going out with a broken left ankle, will start a running back in place of Greg Hill.
Rivers adds some versatility to the position.
He is more elusive than Hill, whose straight-ahead style has not been productive. He's an excellent receiver out of the backfield. He's got some decent evade to him. As much as anything, he's worked hard to get back. Such traditional powers as San Francisco, Dallas and, more recently, Green Bay have struggled.