ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions have the NFL's top-rated defense and for one of the first times in recent years, the offense is the biggest question surrounding this season.

This means that most of your questions have to deal with what, exactly, is going on with the Detroit offense in this week's Lions Mailbag. To ask a question for the Mailbag, use the hashtag #LionsMailbag on Twitter or shoot me a message on my professional Facebook page (you should follow me there, too) or by email at michael.rothstein@espn.com.

Now, on to your questions.

Hey @mikerothstein do you think calvin being out helps lions in long run? Ex: stafford building trust with other recievers? #lionsmailbag - Jake Hedrick (@jake_hedrick2) October 17, 2014

@mikerothstein: In some ways, yes, but only if the other Lions receivers do enough for Matthew Stafford to have trust in them. That shouldn't be an issue with Golden Tate or Brandon Pettigrew, but Corey Fuller, Jeremy Ross, Ryan Broyles and Eric Ebron are still young and unproven on various levels. So if they do more, then sure, it'll help. But it also could hurt because if the trust falls apart, it could make Stafford more Johnson-dependent whenever Calvin Johnson returns. That said, this could be a big week for Fuller and Ross.

@mikerothstein Is Reggie, or any other player, playing a former team hype, or do they really get up for it? #LionsMailbag - Mark Kellogg (@markakellogg) October 16, 2014

@mikerothstein: It depends on the player. While I think a lot of players and coaches try to downplay the importance and meaning behind it, human nature would tell you differently. When you spend a long time in one place -- as both Reggie Bush and Joe Lombardi did in New Orleans -- it is bound to have some effect on you one way or the other. While I believe a lot of that does go away once the flow of a game gets started, it would be crazy to think they won't think about it both before and after the game and maybe a little bit at the beginning of Sunday's contest. I would expect a big game out of Bush on Sunday.

@mikerothstein #LionsMailbag Given KVN is a rookie & has missed so much practice if he is and stays 100% healthy how much can he contribute? - Nick Sharkey (@sharkey_nick) October 16, 2014

@mikerothstein: Not as much as a team would like a second rounder to contribute, but that's just part of the deal with his injury and taking half the season to return. Once Kyle Van Noy becomes eligible to play he should be out there and would likely get worked into a rotation with Ashlee Palmer at the SAM linebacker at first. Whether he overtakes him this season would depend on how the Lions are playing and how Palmer is doing. Don't forget, Teryl Austin has shown he is willing to ship guys in and out depending on their strengths -- hence Josh Bynes playing a bit Sunday and Cassius Vaughn and Danny Gorrer splitting a nickel role. So you could see how much Van Noy plays be dictated by the matchup as long as he's healthy.

@mikerothstein Should we be concerned about the lack of offense? The defense has had injuries too. #rothchat - MISTEROWENS (@misterowens99) October 13, 2014

@mikerothstein: At this point, a little bit. While the defense has had injuries -- the Lions have been able to have capable replacements (Tahir Whitehead for Stephen Tulloch) or fiddle with the scheme enough to tailor packages to the strengths of players (the various nickel formations). On offense it is a bit more tricky because the players you are talking about are your most dynamic playmaker in Calvin Johnson and you shiftiest running back in Reggie Bush. Those are two bigger losses. Plus, neither guy was a clear-cut season-ender, so it makes game-planning a little bit different. That said, the offense should be more productive than it is and it won't be able to get away with only a touchdown or two the next two weeks. Not if the Lions want to win.

Ryan in Detroit asks via email: What do you think about the upcoming Levy/Fairley/ Suh situation? Levy isn't an UFA until 2015, sure, but is currently playing like a stud and will want more money in 2015. Fairley is playing for a contract and may earn it. I trust the sources that Suh doesn't want to return unless the money is ridiculous and this team makes a deep run into the playoffs — even so, the odds are slim. Can the Lions stomach Levy and Fairley contracts with Suh out of the picture in 2015? With a young (and cheap) stud CB like Slay (hopefully) emerging, are the Lions poised to be competitive contract-wise?

@mikerothstein: Don't forget the jump in cap here, but yes, theoretically the Lions could handle contracts for DeAndre Levy and Nick Fairley if Ndamukong Suh would leave. That said, I don't know if the Lions would re-sign Fairley even though he is having a good season. There are definitely questions about whether this motivation is due to a contract year or everything finally clicking for him.

If I were to rank them in signability for the long term, I'd go Levy, Fairley, Suh. In terms of importance to the team, I'd say Suh, Levy, Fairley. But it'll be an interesting thing to watch over the next six to 18 months, for sure.