The bye week is always an opportunity for an NFL team to self-scout, finding ways they’ve been predictable or underwhelming in several aspects of the game. While Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell sent the coaching staff home early last week (with some homework), he even admitted that he wasn’t fully out of work mode when hanging with the family.
“I’m saying it’s a bye and I’m not working, but I’m working. So, the mind is always there,” Campbell said.
Instead, there was work and reflection to do. While Campbell was a little scant on the details of what exactly the team is looking to improve upon, there was one thing he was adamant about.
“Third down (offense) is the most glaring thing right now. We have to be better,” Campbell said. “That is, it’s right there. So, those are things that (offensive coordinator John Morton) Johnny looked at, myself. And that’s been the big focus for us is making sure we find a way to convert.”
Detroit’s third down offense has, indeed, been well below expectations. Despite averaging 6.0 yards per play on first and second down—tied with the Indianapolis Colts for the best yardage rate—the Lions hold just a 37.6% conversion rate on third down, ranking 21st in the league.
While some of Detroit’s struggles on third down can be explained by their tendency to set up fourth-and-managables, Campbell said even factoring that in, they aren’t performing well enough on third down.
The numbers back that up, too. As Colton Pouncy of The Athletic pointed out, on third-and-manageable—defined as 4-to-6 yards to go—the Lions are converting just 39.1% of the time, ranking 20th in the NFL.
So how do you fix that? Again, Campbell wasn’t providing a ton of details, but he admits it’s on both the players and the coaching staff to improve.
“There’s things that we can do to really help our guys, and then it falls on them too,” Campbell said. “So, it’s collective, it’s the whole unit. And I know we talked about that, and so look, we’re just going to keep tweaking it, we’re going to keep working it, and hopefully we get better this week.”
Another aspect of the game I was curious about was how Campbell felt about the interior offensive line. Obviously, this was one of the bigger concerns going into the season, with three new starters in three different positions. Campbell took a measured approach to their play through seven games, noting they’ve made tremendous progress, but there’s a lot of room to grow, too.
“Graham (Glasgow) has been steady in there in the middle, and both of our guards have improved. I mean, there is clear and noticeable improvement,” Campbell said. “There’s a lot to go and they know that. There’s so much room to get better, and I expect them to take another step. They’re going to need to take another step. They know that—because when that happens, then collectively we’ll all get better and that whole unit will get better. But from where we came from (since) Green Bay, they have taken noticeable jumps. So, I like where they’re trending. We’ve got to keep going.”
Statistically, it’s hard to pinpoint the impact of the interior offensive changes. Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany actually rank in the top 20 in overall PFF grade, but both are in the bottom 20 in PFF pass blocking grade. As a unit, the Lions’ pass protection ranks 11th in pressure percentage (per NFL Pro) and 14th in sack rate.
It’s a little more concerning when it comes to the Lions’ run game. Their rushing success rate is down from 44.9% last year (seventh-best) to 41.1% (22nd). According to PFF, center Graham Glasgow is particularly struggling, ranking 29th among 34 qualifying centers in run blocking grade (58.1).
Still, it’s hard to complain when the Lions’ overall offense still ranks third in points per game. And as the trio continues to improve chemistry, hopefully their efficiency and effectiveness continue to grow.
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