When the Detroit Lions walked away victorious from their week 5 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, it sure felt different. To be honest, it’s hard to put it into words. Was it redemption? Was it domination?
It sure felt like both.
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In convincing fashion for consecutive weeks, the Lions earned another win after beating the Panthers by a score of 42-24. This win got them to a 4-1 record and with how the offense is clicking, it’s hard to imagine them slowing down any time soon.
Certainly, there will be a speed bump or two along the way but this Detroit Lions offense is legit. Dating back to last season, the Lions have produced points in the first and fourth quarters in 14 consecutive games. They’ve got an 11-3 record during that span. That’s the longest streak of games to produce points in both of those quarters in NFL history.
There’s no question that we can applaud offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for the job he’s done in Detroit. However, the players on the offense still need to come out and execute. Whether the Lions are playing with or without some of their best playmakers such as Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jahmyr Gibbs, they’re not missing a beat. No question, there needs to be kudos given to quarterback Jared Goff, who has had a career resurgence since his arrival to Detroit.
No matter the opponent, it feels like watching the Lions offense is appointment TV. It felt that way against the Carolina Panthers in week 5, and it’ll be the same feeling in week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Let’s jump into the tape to see why the Lions offense is diverse and why they’re one of the best units in football right now!
One of the first things that jump out when watching the Detroit Lions offense is the amount of times they send a player in motion. Whether it’s Sam LaPorta moving around the formation or Jahmyr Gibbs on an exit motion to the sidelines, they like to move players around.
So far this season, the Lions have used motion 53% of the time. That has them ranked 8th in the NFL for motion percentage, per SIS. In addition to that, they’re under center for 48% of their plays. That’s most in the NFL, per SIS.
Looking at the play above, you’ll see the Lions not only use motion, but they’ll also have Jared Goff under center. Aligned in 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end), the Lions will put Kalif Raymond (WR 11) in motion to the right of the formation.
As Raymond sprints across, the ball is snapped and Goff fakes a hand-off to the running back while turning his eyes downfield. While Goff reads the field, Raymond is sprinting vertically down the field and at about 10 – 12 yards, he breaks to the middle of the field on a dig route. With Raymond open, Goff fires the pass to him and then Raymond makes a defender miss in the open field to gain a few additional yardage. The first offensive play of the game for Detroit was a big gain and it immediately set the tone for the offense the rest of the game.
Moving to the next play, we see the Lions aligned in 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end) again. However, they come out in an empty set out of shotgun rather than under center. Spread out wide to the left of the formation is David Montgomery (RB 5).
Prior to the snap, Montgomery uses a “fast” motion that sends him towards the quarterback before retreating back to the sideline. This type of motion has been used for players such as Gibbs and Raymond but that doesn’t mean it’s restricted to only those players.
After the ball is snapped, Montgomery has three lead blockers in front of him and it allows him to catch the designed screen freely. Once he secures the ball, he sprints behind his lead blockers and picks up the first down.
Potentially the play of the game for Detroit was this reverse flea-flicker for a touchdown. Looking at the play above, the Lions come out in 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end) with Jared Goff under center.
Prior to the snap, he motions Kalif Raymond (WR 11) in, and it creates a twins bunch formation to the right (top of the screen). After the ball is snapped, Goff tosses the ball to David Montgomery (RB 5) in the backfield and this leads to Montgomery tossing the ball to Raymond on what appears to be a wide receiver reverse.
However, Raymond tosses the ball back to Goff and in the process, Sam LaPorta (TE 87) releases vertically upfield on a wheel route. By the time the ball is tossed around and back into the hands of Jared Goff, the rookie tight end is wide open. This leads to an easy completion and touchdown for the Detroit Lions.
According to reports, this play was added to the playbook by Ben Johnson during his time spent with Lions quarterback David Blough. Apparently, this play was run by Blough during his college football career at Purdue.
Taking a break for a second with the clips, I wanted to take a snapshot of the Lions formations during one of their red zone possessions. Looking at the picture above, the Lions have a trips bunch formation to the left (top of the screen). On this condensed set, you’ll see Sam LaPorta (TE 87) essentially aligned as a wingback.
In addition to that, you’ll see a single wide receiver aligned out wide (bottom of the screen). This is important because when you see a wide receiver out wide, you instantly think of pass. However, the Lions are different from the norm.
On the play above, it actually turns out to be a variation of a split-zone run to David Montgomery (RB 5). This second and goal play ended up being a gain of four yards, but it’s important to note the formation and how it’s aligned because of the next play.
Looking at the very next play, the Lions come out aligned in almost an identical formation. To the left of the quarterback is the condensed set with the tight end aligned off the line-of-scrimmage (LOS). However, to the right of the formation, there’s no longer a wide receiver split out wide.
Instead, the Lions go from 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end) in the picture to 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends) in the video above. While it’s 3rd and goal from the 4-yard line, it does feel like a potential run play and potentially four-down territory for this Lions offense.
The offense had made their quick substitution of wide receiver for a tight end and they aligned quickly. Quarterback Jared Goff had urgency to get everyone set, so the defense couldn’t adjust. Once the ball is snapped, he fakes to David Montgomery, and this forces the Panthers defense to slow down a bit and properly take their read steps. In the process, this allows Sam LaPorta (TE 87) to spill out into the flats where he’s wide open for another touchdown.
As you watch this Lions offense, you’ll notice their commitment to the run game. Rightfully so, they run the ball better than just about anybody. By doing this, it helps the offense have so much success in developing a strong play-action passing attack.
The diverse play-calling leads to a variety of pre-snap motion and interchangeable personnel groups. Meanwhile, it leads to success on almost every single possession for the Lions. With how this Lions offense is built, they’ve become one of the most stable offenses and overall teams in the NFL right now.