Detroit Lions: Darrell Bevell’s offense something to build on

Not many things have gone right for the Detroit Lions this season. But the offense under offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is something to build on.

Entering the 2019 NFL regular season, the Detroit Lions figured to be the strength of the team. After a rocky start, the Lions’ defensive unit started to come together. They ended 2018 as top-ten defense, ranking 10th in yards allowed per game (335.0) and 16th in scoring defense (22.5).

With another year spent learning head coach Matt Patricia’s complicated defensive scheme, one that he brought with him from his championship years with the New England Patriots, the foundation of this growing defensive unit figured to be even stronger.

Then throw-in a high-priced free agency class that included defensive end Trey Flowers and cornerbacks Justin Coleman and Rashaan Melvin, plus a draft class that included Day Two selections in linebacker Jahlani Tavai and safety Will Harris; and the “D” in Detroit should have been elite. Instead, they were anything but.

With one game left to play this season, the Lions have a dismal record of 3-11-1 and their defense is among the worst in the NFL. Detroit is currently 29th total defense allowing 398.3 per game to opposing offenses and 26th in score defense (26.7). And that ranking figures to get even worse this weekend as the Lions will host the playoff-bound and divisional champion 12-3 Green Bay Packers.

The one major unknown coming into the season has surprisingly been one of the team’s most inspiring performers in 2019. And that’s been first-year offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.

Through the first eight games of the season, the Lions’ offense averaged 25.5 points per game and the team had a record of 3-4-1. Detroit then lost quarterback Matthew Stafford to a back injury and the Lions haven’t won a single contest since.

Still, Bevell’s offensive scoring average with Stafford under center would have ranked Detroit in the top ten today. Instead, the Lions will earn themselves a top-five selection in the 2020 NFL Draft due to their poor record.

Here’s what Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press had to say about Bevell’s impact in the Motor City in his first season as offensive coordinator.

"” … few realized the impact [Bevell] would have on Stafford and the passing game. Even after Stafford’s injury, Bevell kept the offense afloat while playing two different backups. The Lions need more from their running game next year and they can sustain their offensive play better throughout games, but Bevell has been a bright spot in a dismal season.”"

After another dismal season under the watchful eye of general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia, combined with the news this underperforming duo will return in 2020, there are few positive takeaways fans can gather from this season. But the hiring of offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is one of them.