Will Detroit Lions Offense Drastically Change Without Sam LaPorta?

The Detroit Lions may have to alter their offense to find success without tight end Sam Laporta.

It is not likely the former second-round pick will play again this season, which could impact just how often Dan Campbell deploys 12-personnel.

Detroit's fifth-year head coach was asked how the offense will react to LaPorta's extended absence.

“Well, I believe in using multiple packages. Certainly, I want to get our playmakers on the field, but it’s also – still want to be able to dabble in some 12-personnel, just because I think that’s good for us up front and it enables us to do other things," said Campbell. "It sets up a little bit more of what you do offensively. No, it doesn’t mean we’d go 60 reps of it, but we still use it. Certainly, losing Sam hurts. That hurts. But we’ll adjust, we’ll adapt. We’ve got plenty of weapons here, and our O-line’s going to do a hell of a job.”

Campbell reiterated the team still has capable tight ends, and the amount of occassions the offense deploys two tights on the field at the same time might not decrease all that much.

“Not much. A little bit. There again, like I said, losing Sam hurts because he’s a hell of a football player. He can do it all. Run block, obviously the receiver that you get. But yet we’ve still got Brock (Wright) and there’s things he can do, we’ve got Ross Dwelley, we’ve got (Dan Skipper) Skip," said Campbell. "There’s a good chance we may bring (Anthony Firkser) Firk this week, Firkser. And so, we’ve got some versatility.”

In losses, Detroit's rushing attack and blocking schemes have looked quite different than in performances that resulted in wins.

In fact, the team is averaging almost 100 more rushing yards and two more rushing yards per carry in wins versus losses.

“I mean every game’s different, right. So, you’re going to run plays based on the look and then you run those plays and then you just keep dialing them up," said offensive coordinator John Morton. "And if it’s a play for a specific front or a coverage or something like that and if we don’t get that look, usually we try to run all-purpose plays and runs, passes. That’s really what we try to do.

"Sometimes it’s tough and you’ve got to throw it or if you can’t throw it, you’ve got to run it. And it’s based on a look and you try to create the mismatches and different angles in the run game, have certain guys in there. (David Montgomery) D-Mo’s got certain type of runs, but he can still do all the runs," Morton explained further. "(Jahmyr Gibbs) Gibby, he can do everything. But I think it’s just that. Sometimes the game gets one dimensional and you just kind of go with that and you just call plays accordingly. Just the way it goes.”

The latest 'Lone Wolves' podcast examines what happens next for Detroit's offense after such a devastating injury to a star player.

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