Oct 16, 2011; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew (87) is congratulated by quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) after catching a pass for a touchdown in the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber- US PRESSWIRE

If someone told me that Matthew Stafford would throw for 329 yards, complete 67% of his throws, throw 3 TDs and that Calvin Johnson would notch a career best, 12 catches for 207 yards and a TD on the road, my first reaction would be “Lions victory!”

Unfortunately that wasn’t the case, as the Minnesota Vikings finished off a sweep of the Lions last Sunday.  The Lions desperately need players not named Megatron to contribute more.  And quickly, because the big and bad Green Bay Packers come to town this week.

Since Wednesday is the day position coaches give out the weekly game plan, I decided to do some quality control work.  Something that has caught my attention while studying the Lions offense through the first nine games is the lack of production from the tight end position.

Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler have to be more involved in the game plan.  Particularly this week vs a Packers team who will be without 3 of their 4 original starting linebackers.  The Lions are 1-3 vs the Packers over the last 4 matchups.  The only win came when Drew Stanton was at the helm, in a week 14 matchup December 12, 2010.  I will leave that game out of this discussion due to the fact the Lions were 65% run to 35% pass that afternoon.  I did however look over my notes from the 3 remaining games and found that the tight ends were heavily involved in the game plan.

November 20, 2011; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions tight end Tony Scheffler (85) celebrates after a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field. Lions won 49-35. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-US PRESSWIRE

In a week 4 matchup on October 3, 2010, Scott Linehan called 34 plays out of a total of 77 plays in 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TEs, 2 WRs).  In that game, the tight ends had 14 catches for 154 yards on a total of 21 targets.  In a week 12 matchup November 24, 2011, Scott Linehan didn’t call the tight ends’ number as much.  The offensive coordinator called only 16 plays out of a total of 66 plays in 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TEs, 2 WRs).  In that game, the tight ends had 6 catches for 40 yards on a total of 10 targets.  In a week 17 matchup January 1, 2012, Linehan called on the tight ends once again.  Of the 78 total plays that afternoon, 36 came out of 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TEs, 2 WRs).  The tight ends tallied 11 catches for 181 yards on 17 total targets.  Pettigrew and Scheffler are primed for a big day if their number is called.

After looking over the first nine games of the season, the tight end production has not been there.  Granted the insertion of rookie OT Riley Reiff into the lineup, as an extra tight end, has hindered the production, there is still no excuse.  Across the board, the production from the tight ends in wins and losses are just about the same with the exception of yards gained.  In the team’s four wins, the tight ends production stands at 53 targets, 30 catches, and 385 yards.  In the team’s five losses, the tight ends production stands at 50 targets, 29 catches, and 250 yards.

With all the attention that Calvin Johnson receives, the tight ends should see very favorable matchups down the seams and in the hash area.  They have to force defenses to account for them in the passing game.  And Linehan has to do a better job of getting them in position to do so.

“You put a real tough tight end with good hands in the hash area, and there won’t be anyone who can cover him.  Then you really control the passing game.” – Sid Gillman, father of the modern passing game.

Aug 10, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions offensive tackle Jeff Backus (76), quarterback Matthew Stafford (9), tight end Brandon Pettigrew (87), and wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) in a huddle with teammates during the first quarter of a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

After being swept by the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday, Lions fans are left scratching their heads, wondering if this team is any good or just flat out frauds.  The Lions find themselves sitting at 4-5 and more importantly, 0-3 in the NFC North.

There are many phases of the game to point the finger at: Slow starts from the offense, patchwork secondary, not enough pressure on the quarterback from the d-line, poor run game, coaching gaffes, etc etc.

One specific area that I looked into was the horrible 3^rd down efficiency.  The Lions finished the game 1-9 on 3^rd down and the lone conversion came with 3:44 left in the game.

After sorting through my notes from the 2011 season, I noticed that the Lions faired pretty well on 3^rd down vs the Vikings.  In a week 3 showdown at the Metrodome last season, the Lions finished 7-17 on 3^rd down.  In their week 14 matchup at Ford Field, the Lions finished 8-16 on 3^rd down.  What’s unique is, in both the 2011 matchups, the Lions did not do well on 1^st down.  They averaged 0.85 ypc (yards per carry) & 9.13 ypa (yards per attempt) in week 3.  And in week 14, they averaged 3.57 ypc (yards per carry) & 4.92 ypa (yards per attempt).  Both games resulted in a win for the Lions.

So what’s the big difference one might ask?  I took a look at the Lions on 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd down in their two losses to the Vikings.  I also took a look at what was happening on special teams for any contributing factors.

In a week 4 loss, the Lions averaged 2.8 ypc (yards per carry) & 5.44 ypa (yards per attempt).  The team’s average distance to go on 2^nd down was 8.42 yards.  Of the team’s 16 total 3^rd downs, 9 required 7 or more yards.

In a week 10 loss, the Lions averaged a whopping 4.3 ypc (yards per carry) & 11.2 ypa (yards per attempt).  The team’s average distance to go on 2^nd down was 9.05 yards.  Of the team’s 9 total 3^rd downs, 7 required 7 or more yards.  It is asking a lot for an offense to consistently convert 3^rd down & long situations throughout a game.  As a result, the offense produces no rhythm, and you wind up with stalled drives and frustration.

Something else I noticed is the advantage the Vikings had on special teams.  The Lions average starting field position in their week 10 loss was their own 20.  The rookie kicker blasted kicks into the endzone all afternoon.  The Vikings starting field position was their own 39!  Those 19 yards are huge when you look at it over the course of a game.

The Lions will need to get back to converting their 3^rd down opportunities going forward.  They performed beautifully on 3^rd down for two consecutive weeks heading into their week 10 re-match with the Vikings.  The offense was a combined 20-28 in 3^rd down efficiency during those games.  If this team can get back to that type of efficiency, then maybe, just maybe, we’ll see different results.  It starts with the visiting Green Bay Packers this week.

Oct 14, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) talks with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) along the sidelines during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Lions defeated the Eagles 26-23 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

offense’s in-ability to convert 3^rd downs.  It is often said that 3^rd down is the money down.  It is where offenses “earn their money.” The Lions have not done a good job of converting 3^rd downs, particularly early in games.  After charting the first 6 games, it’s easy to see why this team has no rhythm on offense.  Below is a week-by-week breakdown of early 3^rd down conversions: 

The Lions have to generate some consistency & rhythm on offense by being more efficient on 3^rd down.

Another concerning issue on 3^rd down is the team going three & out on occasions where they gained 7+ yards on 1^st down. In week 1, the team went 3 & out & failed to convert on 3^rd down after gaining 8 yards on a 1^st down run by Kevin Smith.

In last week’s Monday Night Football tilt vs the Chicago Bears, the Lions went 3 & out & failed to convert on 3^rd down twice.  Once on a 9 yard pass to Brandon Pettigrew & another on a 9 yards pass to Titus Young.  That is like taking free money.  You have to convert in those situations.  Especially on the road, against good teams.

So how do the Lions rank 4^th in yards per game, 5^th in passing yards, & 2^nd in passing yards per game league wide, while doing so poorly on 3^rd down?

For starters, they are pretty solid on 1^st down.  After 7 games, the Lions are averaging 4.53 yards per carry & 6.9 yards per attempt on 1^st down.  They have generated more 1^st downs than their opponents with a 148-117 edge.  After some sorting, I noticed the Lions haven’t been getting to 3^rd down a whole lot through the first 7 weeks.  In fact, of the team’s 148 total 1^st downs, 110 (75%) were generated without getting to 3^rd down!

This offense is in a horrible funk.  Converting some early third downs can go a long way to generating some continuity, rhythm, and confidence back into this group.