Also, check out the five critical questions facing the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans.

The Lions enjoyed a remarkable 2014 campaign, eclipsing the 10-win mark for the first time since 1991. Now the question that looms large is this: Was that a one-year aberration (a la 2011) or a sign of bigger things to come?

The search for that answer leads us to the following five questions.

1. Can the offense score enough points? 

The Lions ranked No. 22 in points per game last season (20.1). That’s difficult to believe with an offense that features a Pro Bowl quarterback (Matthew Stafford), the best receiver in the league (Calvin Johnson), a No. 2 receiver who caught 99 balls (Golden Tate), and two former first-round picks at tight end (Brandon Pettigrew and Eric Ebron).

Much of the blame falls on a running game that ranked No. 28 in both yards per game (88.9) and yards per carry (3.6). Reggie Bush, who missed five games due to injury last year, was allowed to walk as a free agent. Joique Bell takes over as the starter and is extremely confident he can bring the offense the balance it needs, despite the fact he is battling Achilles’ and knee ailments that will limit him during training camp.

“My first year here I rushed for a few hundred (yards). Second year, close to (700). Then last year, almost 900. So this next year, I’m just going to jump the gun and say 1,200. That’s the minimum,” Bell told MLive.com.

Bell will split carries with rookie second-round pick Ameer Abdullah, a big-play threat from Nebraska.

2. Can Calvin Johnson regain his dominant form? 

Johnson missed three games last season due to an ankle injury, but his problems seemed to extend beyond that. At times, he struggled to explode out of his breaks and gain separation. In short, he looked out of shape and slow.

Johnson’s 1,077 receiving yards marked his lowest output since 2009 (and were 133 yards less than Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins, to put it in perspective). His yards per catch (15.2) was the same as Colts TE Coby Fleener. Not good.

Megatron promises that will not be the case again this season. He is 100 percent healthy after an offseason or rest and rehabilitation. Just as importantly, he feels even more comfortable in Detroit’s offense as everyone has had a year to acclimate to offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s new system.

Johnson insists Detroit’s offense is “100 percent better than last year at this time.”

3. Will the remade interior offensive line hold up? 

Detroit has invested heavily in its interior offensive line; the hope is that this is the year all those premium picks pay off.

The latest pieces to be added to the puzzle came on draft day, when the Lions made a trade with the Broncos to move down and select Duke OG Laken Tomlinson. The swap also netted the Lions veteran Manny Ramirez, who is expected to be the top backup at center and guard.

The real story, obviously, was the selection of Tomlinson, who will start at left guard. A dominant run blocker, Tomlinson should go a long way towards fixing that struggling running game mentioned above.

Starting next to Tomlinson will be center Travis Swanson, a 2014 third-round pick from Arkansas who started five games as a rookie (three at guard). Beside him at right guard is Larry Worford, a 2013 third-round pick from Kentucky who, like Tomlinson, is a better run blocker than pass protector.

That’s three premium picks spent on the interior offensive line over the last three years. It’s critical for the Lions those three gel immediately and drive the offense’s resurgence.

4. Will the defense fall off without Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley?

There haven’t been a pair of defensive tackles hyped as much as Suh and Fairley since Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams were shutting down running lanes for the Ravens some 15 years ago. Now Suh and Fairley will be doing their damage for the Dolphins and Rams, respectively, which leaves a big hole in the middle of a Detroit defense that was the league’s stingiest against the run in 2014 (69.3 yards per game).

The Lions did well to acquire Haloti Ngata from the Ravens as a replacement, but there was a reason Baltimore made him available in the first place — his performance no longer met his asking price. Ngata can replace Fairley, for sure, but even on his best day he is no Suh.

Nonetheless, Ngata believes the Lions have the talent in place to remain one of the league’s premier defensive units.

“I’ve never been a part of a defense like this,” he said, via the Detroit Free Press.” You have so many athletes: J.J. (Jason Jones), Ziggy (Ansah), Caraun (Reid), Darryl Tapp. You just have so many playmakers all over the front on the D-line. I’m just excited to be a part of it.”

5. Can the Lions remain clutch in close games?  

An optimist (i.e. a Lions fan) would say Detroit was really good in close games last season. A pessimist (i.e. a statistician) would say the law of averages dictates that kind of luck won’t last. Either way, Detroit’s performance in tight games in 2015 will be key to its quest to improve on last year’s 11-win campaign.

The Lions were 6-1 in games decided by seven points or less last season. Included amongst those victories was a 24-23 win over the Saints in which the Lions trailed 23-10 midway through the fourth quarter and a 22-21 win over the Falcons in which Detroit trailed 21-0 at halftime.

In fact, over the final 12 weeks of the season, the only game Detroit lost by seven points or less was the controversial playoff defeat in Dallas.

That postseason letdown notwithstanding, Detroit’s come-from-behind wins were unforgettable, but they are also extremely difficult to duplicate. Perhaps this year’s team will be good enough that it doesn’t have to dig out of so many holes, but asking for another year filled with so many “lightning in a bottle” performances is unrealistic.

What do you expect from the Lions? Discuss with Michael Lombardo during his weekly NFL Chat on Friday at 2pm EST. But you don’t have to wait until then … you can ask your question now!