Lions' Offense Has Potential to Be Unstoppable in 2022
The first half of the 2021 NFL season was a struggle for the Detroit Lions and first-year head coach Dan Campbell.
With the team boasting a new quarterback, Jared Goff, and new players at almost every skill position, the offensive unit struggled to click and move the football.
In its first eight games, Detroit was held scoreless in the first half a total of four times.
These struggles prompted Campbell to take over the play-calling duties, which resulted in a gradual uptick of offensive production. After sluggishly going through the first half of the season, the Lions sprinted through the second half.
Though they finished just 3-13-1, there was a lot of optimism created by the way the offense, led by Goff, finished the season.
Now, the team is aiming to get more competitive. Ben Johnson, who was elevated to passing game coordinator when changes were made at the midway point last season, has seen himself promoted to offensive coordinator.
On the personnel side, the Lions brought back Kalif Raymond on a two-year deal, and signed Jacksonville Jaguars free agent DJ Chark to a one-year contract. Those two join Amon-Ra St. Brown, who set the Lions record for receiving yards by a rookie in 2021, Josh Reynolds and a healthy Quintez Cephus.
“I think the more talent and speed that you can have, man, it’s a benefit to everybody,” Raymond said. “But, even before you step on the field, I mean, to have a guy in the (receiver) room that’s working his butt off and he’s balling, it creates that same drive in you. So, man, I think it goes so much deeper than just on the field and having a guy in the locker room that goes out and just can perform day in and day out and bring the same energy and attitude to work every day like that.”
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Raymond, during his Friday media session, outlined how he is preparing for the 2022 season.
“I think you go into the season working as hard as you can for the potential for anything to happen,” Raymond said. “I just want to make sure when my number’s called, at any point in time, whether it be one time, 10 times or 50 times, that I’ve got the playbook down like the back of my hand. I caught those (touchdowns) and I caught those passes. That way, even if there is an expectation, whatever that is, when the opportunity comes and it’s here, no matter how many reps it is, I’m ready.”
With Goff becoming more familiar with the offense and D’Andre Swift back at running back, this Lions offense has the potential to be much more explosive in 2022.
It won’t hurt to have one of the best up-and-coming offensive line units in the league, led by 2021 first-round pick Penei Sewell.
That group up front could be the key to the team’s success.
“I think first and foremost, I think we have the ability to be dominant up front,” Johnson told reporters at the NFL scouting combine. “Not just good, but dominant up front.”
By winning the battles in the trenches, the Lions will be capable of much more in 2022. Raymond and Chark form a formidable duo, as both possess the necessary speed it takes to take the top off of defenses.
“I view myself as a top player,” Chark said. “But, with that being said, injuries and things like that, you still have to prove yourself. But, I feel like this organization is the best place to do it. It’s not necessarily about money, it’s about the best fit. And, this was the best fit.”
Additionally, St. Brown will have a year of experience as he continues to grow. He was reliable in 2021, always available when Detroit needed a big play in the second half of the season and will look to have that same role.
Then, there’s Cephus, who had a promising start to the season before suffering a broken collarbone in Week 5 and missing the remainder of the season. He’ll be back in 2022 and looking to build on the 15 catches, 204 yards and two touchdowns he had in 2021’s first five games.
Reynolds, a midseason waiver wire pickup, also cashed in on a two-year deal to stay in Detroit. With all this talent in the receivers room, Raymond believes the group can work toward making each other better.
The 27-year-old mentioned moments in the locker room and on the practice field where the group was working to make each other better in 2021, explaining the impact of something as routine as catching extra passes off the JUGS machine after practice.
“We have guys that play and work like that. I mean, when we get to the game, imagine how much different my game was and their game was, because we caught JUGS that day while everybody else was gone,” Raymond said. “So, the more people you can have like that in the room with me, I can only imagine if there’s six, 10, 12 wideouts all doing the same thing after practice. I mean, that’s gonna grow, because if DJ goes out and catches, or (Reynolds) goes out and catches or (Cephus) goes to catch, I’m gonna go catch, and we all just got that much better.”
The Lions experienced very low "lows" in 2021. With the talent returning and working to get better, it could indeed be a much better product for fans taking in the action in 2022.
