Today, in the spirit of school being back in session, it’s time for a pop quiz.

Try to name the one player who has the potential to swing the entire season for the Detroit Lions?

The first thought is probably Matthew Stafford, right? Obviously, this team would go nowhere without Stafford. That’s a given. But even if Stafford gets his yards, this team won’t necessarily make the playoffs like last season. It’s hard to imagine him putting together eight fourth-quarter comebacks again. That strategy is not a proven recipe for success in the NFL.

Ziggy Ansah? Perhaps. The Lions are in serious trouble without a pass rush.

Greg Robinson at left tackle? Certainly, that is a critical position after the loss of Taylor Decker.

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But in my eyes, this entire season will be determined by the play of running back Ameer Abdullah. He has to stay healthy and the Lions have to improve their running game drastically to have any shot to make the playoffs.

But if Abdullah can stay healthy, and if that revamped offensive line can create some consistent push, this offense can go to a whole different level. Then, we would finally see what offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter can do with all the parts.

“Oh man, I think it can be the best offense in the league, really,” Abdullah said.

Last season, Abdullah gave a hint of what that could be like in the season opener against Indianapolis, after rushing 12 times for 63 yards and adding five catches for 57 yards.

In the second game, he started out with six carries for 38 yards against Tennessee.

Then disaster struck.

Abdullah suffered a Lisfranc foot injury and missed the rest of the season.

“It did kill me,” he said. “But I’ve learned a lot of things about myself and about this game, being hurt, being in an adverse situation. My back was against the wall.”

Last year, with Abdullah on the bench, the Lions had a horrible rushing attack, ranking 30th in the NFL (79.9 yards per game).

It was the Achilles heel on a playoff team that had no business being in the playoffs.

Against Seattle, in the NFC wild-card round, Detroit couldn’t do anything on the ground. The Lions rushed the ball just 15 times for 49 yards (Stafford had 15 of those yards), as the Seahawks crushed the Lions, 26-6.

General manager Bob Quinn could have gone after a running back in free agency or the draft, but he stuck with Abdullah. Quinn rebuilt the offensive line and is betting everything on Abdullah, that he is the answer and can stay health.

That’s possible, considering Abdullah had never missed a game in his entire life until last season.

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“I was expected to be the lead ball carrier for my team last year and I prepared all off-season for that, and to have it cut short, that does a lot to you mentally,” he said.

Still, he has faced three injuries in the past three seasons.

While playing at Nebraska in 2014, Abdullah sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee against Purdue when he tried to recover a fumbled snap. He had a week off because of a bye and then rushed 18 times for 69 yards the next week against Wisconsin.

As a rookie with the Lions in 2015, Abdullah ran for 597 yards, while struggling with fumble issues. He suffered a shoulder injury in the final game and had off-season surgery.

Then came last season.

“Last year was hard for me,” he said. “It wasn’t just tough. I wanted to be on the field. But physically I wasn’t ready.”

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Now, he says his recovery is ahead of schedule.

“In terms of this season, I feel like it’s a great opportunity to prove how good of a team we are,” he said. “Once we have all of our pieces, once we get everybody playing at the same speed, once everybody gets in their groove, we are gonna prove we have a really good team.”

He looks around the locker room and sees all kinds of talent.

“When I’m in the huddle with Marvin Jones, I know that at any point, he can catch a crossing route and take it the distance,” Abdullah said. “Golden Tate can catch a bubble and take it the distance. When Theo (Riddick) lines up, no one in this league can guard him.”

Abdullah makes a valid point. But all of those weapons can be a whole lot better with a running game.

And that brings it back to Abdullah. It all hinges on him.

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Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.