Lions' Offense Has Swagger That Could Propel Team to More Wins
The Detroit Lions will have an opportunity to score points in 2022.
After struggling to score points, being unable to move the football down the field and becoming quite predictable last season, the front office went out, and upgraded the talent offensively.
Detroit's first-team offense marched right down the field against the Atlanta Falcons, with a mix of runs and passes that could be a staple of new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
"Obviously, the result was great. We scored a touchdown. But, I thought we operated well," Jared Goff said postgame. "A couple of mental errors there presnap, but for the most part, operated well. Made some plays, made a couple down the field and ran the ball well. Kind of what we intended to do from the jump, and we were able to do it.”
With a new voice potentially given the chance to call plays, Detroit's offense will also have the potential for more explosive plays.
Even though DJ Chark had a quiet performance, he, along with rookie Jameson Williams, will eventually become an issue for opposing defenses.
“I don’t care if he called 10 passes, I just wanted us to flow and move it a little bit. We game planned them for half a day. It was a very basic game plan, and so were they to us," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. "This was just about getting a look at our guys. But, you want to feel like we got a little bit of a rhythm. And, so no, I wasn’t concerned with that. We just wanted them to play, and hey, whatever we feel like doing, let’s do it."
The offensive line unit, which is expected to perform at an elite level this year, has gelled quickly, and is a real reason for optimism offensively.
“What feels different around the building is just an atmosphere for open communication to where everyone is able to ask questions and feel comfortable, and when you’re comfortable you can go out there and you can play confidently," Taylor Decker told reporters following the preseason opener.
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A true reflection of the culture change has been players feeling much more comfortable discussing issues with the coaching staff and feeling there will not be negative consequences for speaking up.
Goff was not scheduled to suit up, but once he saw the starting offense was going to play, he discussed with Campbell wanting to suit up.
"I know there’s been a lot of capital spent on bringing guys in here to try to make the offense have some firepower. We’ve been working every single day, trying to have the best attitude you possibly can every single day and come to work and try to enjoy it out there," Decker said. "It’s hard to hit on one thing that it would be. But, it did feel good out there, and we just need to maintain that for the entire four quarters, because we know there’s going to be ebbs and flows in the game. That’s just the NFL, everyone’s got good players. If we can keep that high level of energy, emotion out there, I think it can be really good for us.”
