Detroit Lions offense is catching fire at the right time

The Detroit Lions offense is catching fire at the right time led by talented wide receiver group and backed up by youth and wisdom at running back.

The Detroit Lions have started to light up the scoreboard this season scoring 27, 26, 24 and 31 points in their last four games. No, these aren’t video game numbers by any means, but they should be enough to win football games. The team has a 2-2 record through the past four games with one loss coming on a last-second field goal.

A bigger sign of the offense coming to life is the success they had in the red zone versus the Green Bay Packers in Week 5. The balance has to be appreciated as well – two rushing and two passing touchdowns. Running back LeGarrette Blount brought the power while receivers Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay snatched passes for their scores.

In this instance, what pains fantasy football players is what helps the Lions succeed: variety. Everyone is getting in on the action and any player could explode for this team at any time. Never knowing who to focus on stopping can leave a defense vulnerable. Not having to go to one specific target in the passing game and not knowing if the running back is in to run, block or receive keeps defenses guessing.

Any plays that were obvious to the New York Jets in Week 1 have since been ironed out and varied the past few weeks. But, perhaps the best part, the Lions are reliant on quarterback Matthew Stafford to throw the ball all over the field to win games. In fact, Stafford is far from his usual downfield passing prowess, and that’s not a bad thing.

Here’s what Tim Twentyman wrote for the Detroit Lions official website.

"“Last year, Matthew Stafford had the third highest passer rating in the NFL on throws that traveled at least 20 yards in the air at 111.6. Stafford currently ranks 17th in deep passing through five games this year, with a 79.0 passer rating.”"

Chalk it up to dropped passes, declined accuracy, game situations – whatever you’d like. What it really says is that the team isn’t reliant on the strong arm of Stafford like they used to be. A more balanced offense is emerging. And it has been successful in the past few weeks.

It’s not just the skill positions who are getting things done. This week, the Lions offensive line has been rated 6th overall by Pro Football Focus. Giving Stafford more time to throw and pushing people around in the running game is where the success is building for this offense.

While right guard T.J. Lang is recovering from a concussion, a recent report has him optimistic to play in Week 7. A full strength offensive line could mean big things for this team as the middle of the season nears. Nobody has pulled away in the NFC North and these Lions still have five divisional games to make a statement.

For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.