There are plenty of reasons why the Detroit Lions were not a playoff team last season.

However, there are plenty of reasons why the Lions can make it to the tournament this year.

Hey, if you cannot have optimism in the offseason, the Kool-Aid usually gets warm by October.

A lot of things must fall into place for Detroit to make its second playoff appearance in three years, but Minnesota, Seattle and Indianapolis advanced to the postseason after starting off with more questions than answers in 2012. Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson's knee was questioned, Indianapolis lost Peyton Manning, while Seattle decided to start an undersized quarterback named Russell Wilson.

Here are five reasons why Detroit could make the 2013 playoffs:

1. Lion in the Bush -- Everyone expects him to be the next Jahvid Best, but as long as he is the old Reggie Bush, the Lions will be just fine. Detroit needs a spark in its running game, and Mikel Leshoure was not the answer last year. If Bush can show the same flashes of speed and brilliance he displayed in New Orleans, that will help Detroit move the chains, and enable its defense stay fresh.

2. Use the Schwartz -- Detroit's roster consists of Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Ndamukong Suh, Reggie Bush, Nick Fairley, Jason Jones, Stephen Tulloch and Glover Quin. That is more than enough individual talent to make the playoffs. It is up to Schwartz to put it all together. Jim Schwartz has a 22-42 regular season record, and was recently criticized by ESPN's NFL analysts. If Schwartz proves last year was an anomaly, Detroit could make a playoff run.

3. Rise and shine, Fairley -- The former first-round pick displayed a ton of swagger this offseason - now he just has to back it up. Fairley believes he is part of the best defensive tackle tandem in the NFL, and Ndamukong Suh is ready for that challenge. Detroit did not re-sign defensive tackle Corey Williams in free agency, and now is the time for Fairley to shine.



4. Ga-ga about Ansah -- He might be a boom-or-bust project, but Detroit does not need Ansah to post double-digit sacks this season. Detroit just cannot afford for Ansah to be a liability. Ansah needs to be more productive than Kyle Vanden Bosch, which means he must pressure the quarterback, stop the run, and find a way to beat offensive lineman one-on-one.

5. Sweet Lou -- Detroit's starting safety has missed 13 games over the past two years, and the Lions are 5-8 without him. Delmas is the emotional leader of Detroit's defense, and everyone associated with the Lions will admit that. Detroit plans to limit Delmas during regular season practices to preserve him for game days. If Delmas is ready to go, Detroit's playoff opportunities will not be too far behind him.

Enjoy a few Reggie Bush highlights (hit that mute button if you are at work - or prefer not to hear uncensored rap music so early):