Are the Detroit Lions running game woes really an easy fix?
The Detroit Lions run game is in dire need of improvements. Can the line help the team go from worst to top half in one year? Or do changes need to be made?
Here it is, the one thousandth article on the Detroit Lions running attack. Experts and people within the Lions front office talk as if they’re “one player-ish” from fixing what is easily the biggest Achilles heal for their offense.
During the 2017 season the Lions were dead last in rushing offense. Is it possible for the Lions to get into the top half of the league in rushing in just one year? Let’s discuss it.
Line dance
When asked about the state of the Lions run game recently on Sirius XM NFL Radio, general manager, Bob Quinn said:
"Make no mistake about it, it needs to improve.....blame can get passed all around the organization and it starts w me, I promised our players & our staff that I'd be leading to the charge to get it fixed"
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) February 13, 2018
- #Lions GM Bob Quinn on the state of the run game pic.twitter.com/O5nU3jO9G8
What is the issue?
I give him credit for owning the problem. The next step should be a plan to fix this problem, right? The only concrete step that he has discussed is adding a running back. Sporting News writer, Alex Marvez reported Quinn discussing the offseason possibility of adding a running back and the issues with the offensive line:
"“I’m sure we’re going to add someone to the group there,” Quinn told the Sporting News about adding a runner. “We had 10 different combinations starting [along the offensive line]. That probably didn’t help things … When you talk about running the football, it’s the whole system. It’s the tight ends. It’s the receivers. Are they getting downfield to get the second-level blocks? Is the quarterback making the right checks at the line of scrimmage to get us in the right plays? A lot of things go into the running game.”"
The offensive line also allowed quarterback, Matthew Stafford, to be sacked 47 times, tied for seventh worst. A few of those were on the quarterback, for holding the ball too long, primarily. The majority were the result of ten different line combinations, mostly due to injury.