Lions' Teryl Austin: No. 46 on NFL influential list

Another local name has cropped up on the unusual list that themmqb.com is counting down: Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is No. 46 among the 100 most influential people for the 2015 season.

Previously, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was named No. 74, Michigan State QB Connor Cook No. 76, and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh No. 87. (They're up to No. 41 with today's batch.)

And the reason for putting Austin on the list is similar to Stafford.

Austin has seen a lof of success as the Lions' DC. But now, Andy Benoit writes, he has to do it without "the Ndamukong Suh factor. The all-world defensive tackle did wonders for the system, against both the run and the pass, primarily in the way he took on double teams to allow the talented but mercurial Nick Fairley (and others) to flourish. Both Suh and Fairley are gone now; the former deemed too expensive to re-sign and the latter deemed too unreliable to award long-term money.

"If Austin is a magician, he must prove that Suh wasn't his magic wand. The Lions defense, for the first time in years, will truly have to manufacture success through scheme, not just skilled player execution. NFL GMs know this. And they know that Austin, 50, is charismatic and humble in the right ways. If the Lions prosper, he will become 2016's hottest head coaching candidate."

Similarly, Robert Klemko wrote earlier, the offense now has to step up, and Stafford has to earn his big contract even more: "All that eaten-up cap space was a big reason why the Lions were unable to retain the elite interior defensive line tandem of Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. With expectations lowered on the defensive side of the ball, a heftier burden will fall onto Stafford and his right arm."

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Contact Steve Schrader: sschrader@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @schradz.