Can the Detroit Lions offense get better?
By Robert Jones
There’s no question the Detroit Lions’ offense has been bad this season, but is there a chance that could change?
The Detroit Lions are bad on both sides of the ball. The front seven on defense has been inconsistent, and the inexperienced secondary has made mistakes. Despite those unforgiving weaknesses, the defense is probably the strength of this team right now.
Between injuries, lack of talent and poor play, the Lions’ offense has been downright offensive to watch.
The ground game has not been what head coach Dan Campbell had envisioned, and the receiving corps has done almost nothing. Add in the complete unwillingness of quarterback Jared Goff to even attempt to test defenses downfield, and it’s no wonder the Lions possess one of the worst offenses in the NFL.
In the midst of all this poor play, is it possible that the Lions’ offense could be on the verge of improving? I’m not saying they will turn into the “Air Coryell” Chargers of the early 1980s or the Rams’ “Greatest Show On Turf” from the early 2000s, but maybe they could become functional.
Can the Lions offense get better?
The return of left tackle Taylor Decker to the lineup, which seems to be coming on Sunday, will be helpful. Center Frank Ragnow has been a huge loss, but Evan Brown has been solid in his place. Getting the offensive line on track should help the ground game.
The other addition that should help out, in time, is wide receiver Josh Reynolds. The former Titan and Ram will be reunited with Goff after they played together in Los Angeles.
Reynolds will need to figure out the Lions playbook, and that won’t happen overnight. However, the addition of Reynolds will give Detroit a competent receiver with size and overall ability.
Will the Lions be better on offense? That depends on Goff. If he actually does throw the ball down the field to Reynolds and forces opposing defenses to play honest, then the ground game will benefit and the Lions should score enough points to give them a chance to win a game.
Decker and Reynolds working their way into the lineup will give the Lions a chance to be better on offense. The question is whether Goff takes advantage of it.
