Detroit Lions Weblog

Lions Promise to Feature High-Powered Offense

After last week’s first pre-season victory, one thing is certain, the Lions, if they are able to remain relatively injury-free, will boast one of the more high-powered offenses in the NFL this season.  

There should be no games that they are entirely out of, especially under the guiding hand of Offensive Guru Mike Martz.   This current Lion offense provides match-up difficulties hitherto unseen in recent team history.   For example, the miscommunication/blown coverage by the Bengals safeties that lead to Shaun McDonald’s long catch for a touchdown.    The very presence of Calvin Johnson on the field during that play was the catalyst for McDonald having nothing but green in front of him when he caught the ball.  The Bengals safeties were so fixated on Johnson that they completely lost track of McDonald streaking down the middle of the field and splitting the safeties for his big score.

The stress that opposing secondaries will feel when the Lions are in their 3 and 4 wide receiver formations, especially with Roy Williams and Johnson both on the field at the same time, will be formidable.    What do you do as an opposing defense?  You may choose to play in nickel and dime coverage packages with a spread field, allowing the Lions to gash you repeatedly with running plays.   You may choose to blitz, in which case you have exposed your defensive backfield critically. If the Lions offensive line can provide even nominal protection, keeping Jon Kitna out of harm’s way, the sky will be the limit for them.

The Lions comeback last week was no small feat, even if it was against the Bengals third and fourth string defenders.   The poise of Dan Orlowsky, along with a rag-tag cadre of veteran receivers, who admittedly will struggle to make the final roster, in players like Kevin Kasper, Troy Walters, and Edell Shepherd, exemplifies what the Lions offense may be capable of with another season of experience under the tutelage of the enigmatic Martz.

Martz has his eccentricities, that’s for certain.   Being a midwestern football fan, I would like to see a little more of a conventional ground attack in place.    As imaginative as Martz is with devising his offensive plays, he seems to simply stick to with draws, misdirections, and dive plays while rushing the ball within the Lions multi-receiver, single-back sets.  Martz’s imagination seems to be somewhat lacking when it comes to running the ball, even if he utilizes different formations and personnel packages when choosing to run.

Martz will have a wider palette to paint with season, though.   The two-headed attack of Tatum Bell and Kevin Jones should flourish, once Jones is healthy.   Having T.J. Duckett, if he holds onto the football, will give the Lions a back who should convert frequently in short yardage situations and be effective in the red zone, an area where they often failed miserably last season.

Early indications from Calvin Johnson give the appearance that he will have a Reggie Bush-like impact for the Lions.   Players of his “skill set” and football “make-up” don’t come along often, and their may be no better offensive coach to utilize his talents than Martz.   If Johnson’s development continues at it’s current pace, the Lions may actually be able to match Roy Williams’ bold predictions of scoring forty points per game.    Whether or not the defense can prevent teams from scoring forty-one points per game remains to be seen, though.