Detroit Lions: Can the greatest show on turf come to Motown?
The Detroit Lions need help on offense, could an LA Rams-style offense be possible in the Motor City? What pieces are missing? We examine the idea.
The Detroit Lions ground out a win against the hapless Arizona Cardinals this past weekend, 17-3. That moves the Lions record to 5-8 for the season. However, a bigger problem is that the offense can’t seem to move the football in an era where many teams are putting up big yards.
What do the Lions need to have a more dynamic offense like the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, and New Orleans Saints? We’ll discuss using the Los Angeles Rams as our template.
The Rams are under the direction of head coach Sean McVay, who is in his second full season leading his team. McVay, 32, is also the youngest head coach in the modern NFL. His Rams are 3rd in scoring, (32.7 points per game), 5th in passing yards, 5th in rushing yards, and tied for 4th in yards per rush.
The Rams are 11-2 and have clinched their division despite the youth and inexperience of McVay. Being that the Lions also have an inexperienced head coach, albeit a 44-year-old with three Super Bowl rings, we can learn what a balanced, dynamic offense can do for our team. Matt Patricia’s Lions have been inconsistent and had quite a few injuries in his first season but what is it missing to mimic the Rams new “Greatest Show on Turf?”
What the Rams do
Schematically, the Rams try to not give away what they are doing. They are looking for a man advantage anywhere and to exploit it. Both by running and passing. The Rams coordinators don’t run out of stacked formations where it’s obvious that they’re running. Nor do they want to pass when it’s obvious that they are lined up to pass.
They line up the same ways each time and see how you try to defend them. McVay likes to pass on first down because most teams don’t expect it as much. He studies the analytics of the game.
They use motion to diagnose defenses presnap and to force the defense to think. Also, many plays start the same, with a jet motion, without usually running the sweep. It’s not all flash, though, Todd Gurley brings the power running to keep teams honest.
A particularly lethal set of plays works off of the ghost jet, a wide receiver sweep.
The jet sweep and an inside zone with the jet action are the first two. Thirdly, the jet receiver stops his motion and comes back to the flat to get open. The quarterback has two options going downfield, a post and an out, while the tight end drags back in the same direction as the jet receiver. The quarterback can roll right and hit one of two receivers, in the flat or behind the linebackers.
They create many one-on-one matchups.
Every wrinkle is designed to keep the defense in the dark about what is coming. It wouldn’t work if the offense didn’t have good personnel that was a threat and a line that performs at a high level, though. The skilled receivers force teams to defend the pass, too.
It all works together.
The Rams offense consists of a solid line, an elite, 3-down runner, receivers who are fast but also provide threats as blockers and runners, a multi-purpose tight end/ H-back player, and a trigger man who can threaten all areas of the field with his arm.
However, their offense is not just chucking it up, the Rams give Jared Goff time and don’t ask him to win games all by himself by giving him plays that work for the down and distance.
It was just a season ago that the Lions the most downfield, big play yards to their wideouts. What changes need to be made to get back to having those complementary receivers or a big-play offense?