Lions' Offense Beginning to Raise Red Flags
The Detroit Lions' offense understandably will take some time to gel.
There are simply too many moving parts all trying to fit together in a relatively short period of time.
It is yet to be determined what the final verdict will be regarding the 2021 offense.
But, through the first seven days of training camp, the Lions offense has struggled to consistently execute in the passing game, especially with the deep pass.
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Even though Jared Goff prefers to play it safe, backup quarterback Tim Boyle told reporters on Wednesday the offense, despite their struggles, will still continue to test the secondary to keep the defense honest.
“I think that’s just scripting. It’s situational football. You know, I think the coaches have put all three of us in a good spot to make sure we’re getting the ball downfield,” Boyle said. “If you’re checking down, throwing it short or intermediate every time, defensive backs and safeties are going to start sitting on stuff. I think there’s a part of it that you want to keep the defense honest and throw it past their heads a few times. Even if it’s incomplete, that corner is like, ‘oh, I’ve got to respect the deep ball now.’ Fortunately, we’ve been able to hit some deep balls and they’ve been pretty, so it’s been fun."
Through seven practices, Goff does appear more hesitant than Boyle to launch it deep, instead preferring to go through his reads and oftentimes finding a running back underneath or his tight end.
"Yea, we'll see. I'm just taking what they're giving us right now. The defense is doing a pretty good job. We're getting guys open underneath, so just taking what they give us," Goff recently told Fox 2 Sports. "When those shots down the field are there, I hope to take them."
Here are some observations made about the Lions' offense from others in attendance at the Allen Park practice facility daily.
"It was another forgettable day for the Lions' offense, and some issues are starting to become regular. Jared Goff looks hesitant to throw into coverage and is clearly more comfortable checking down," Jeremy Reisman of SB Nation explained. "The best example came during a full-team drill. Goff got the safety on one side of the ball to drop into the box leaving Breshad Perriman deep in one-on-one coverage. He didn’t have a lot of separation, but it was a favorable look for the offense. Goff, instead, chose to check down to Jamaal Williams for a short gain.Tim Boyle was in with the second-team offense today and was dealing with some uncharacteristic accuracy issues."
"The defense remains clearly ahead of the offense at this point, and I'm starting to worry about the offense's ability to generate points and yards this fall," Dave Birkett writes. "I keep reminding myself it's early, and that Goff and Co. are still feeling each other out. But with the first preseason game about a week out, I want to see more consistency in the passing game and more big-play capability."
