If you missed it on Thursday afternoon, we had the pleasure of interviewing Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing for about 30 minutes. It was the first time Petzing has had an interview with the media since taking the job in January, so there was a lot of ground to cover and a lot of new information gained.
Here are my five biggest takeaways from the interview, which you can watch in its entirety on our YouTube or Twitch page—or listen to on any of your favorite podcasting platforms.
Note: One of my biggest takeaways not listed below was Petzing talking about his adaptability. I wrote about that more here.
Petzing’s history separates him from others
We asked Petzing what he thinks separates him from other offensive coordinator candidates, and his reply broke down his exhaustive coaching history and his easy-to-see enthusiasm.
“It’s the confidence I go about the job with,” Petzing started. “It’s my background in a lot of different rooms. I was a receivers coach, I was a tight ends coach, I was a quarterbacks coach, and one of the key points about being an offensive coordinator is you’ve got to be in charge of everything, and you have to hold people accountable. I think it helps having a diverse background on the offensive side of the ball to do that, because I’ve had to coach the details of how to block wide zone on the front side with a tight end, or how to release vs. press as a receiver, or where a quarterback’s eyes and where his feet should be (when I was) in the quarterback room. I think that was probably one of those things that I like to think shone through throughout the interview.
“Then the other part of calling plays for three years, you start to figure out why you’re doing things, how to highlight talent that you do or don’t have. I think that’s something that hopefully people were able to see throughout my three years there in Arizona. And I’m hoping I’m getting better every single game and every year I’m doing it.”
Asked and answered.
Jared Goff is ‘another coordinator’ for the offense
When the topic of Jared Goff came up, Petzing got energized. It certainly seems like the Lions offensive coordinator is very excited to work with a veteran quarterback with immense talent and knowledge of the game.
“He’s as impressive of a quarterback as I’ve seen watching tape … Coming into the interview process and watching the tape, I think you really start to really appreciate how good he really is and what level he’s been playing at these last couple years,” Petzing said. “I think as a play-caller, as a coach really at any position on offense, when you have a guy that sees the game the way he does that can operate the way he does, the rhythm and the timing and the vision is really impressive—and then having the physical tools to put the ball where it needs to be placed. To have touch, but also have some violence in his throwing motion. As you said, yes, he’s a pocket passer, but he’s made some great plays in the keeper game, on the move.
“There’s just so many things that I think he does at a really high level that, again, it all goes back to what puts stress on a defense? And when you know a guy can see the field, check in and out of plays, get in and out of the huddle, those are little thing that I think get taken for granted at times that really make a massive difference in how an offense operates and the success of a team. I think he’s done that at such a high level for such a long time”
Petzing said Goff will be “immensely” involved when it comes to building a scheme, and noted that having a veteran quarterback like him will make that process run smoother because of his intellect.
“In a lot of ways, to me, a good quarterback/play-caller relationship, he’s another coordinator on staff. He’s another coach on staff, because of how much time is required to play that position at a high level,” Petzing said. “We don’t do anything without the quarterback touching the ball, so everything we do has to be based around his skillset, making him comfortable, allowing him to see the game the way that he thinks he sees it best. And then I can do some things and involve some things that, ‘Hey, you haven’t done this, but I think this is going to fit really well.’”
Petzing likes David Montgomery a lot
Lions running back David Montgomery’s standing with the team remains in limbo after general manager Brad Holmes admitted they’d be open to trading him if the veteran back wanted to go somewhere where he’d believe they’d utilize him better. Last week at the Super Bowl, Montgomery seemed enthusiastic about returning to the team after talking to Petzing.
“He wanted to ensure me, to let me know that he wants me to be a part of it,” Montgomery told Chris Simms. “Yeah, I’m excited to see what’s next and see what kind of happens now.”
I asked for Petzing’s point of view of that conversation, and while he mostly deflected the question, he did offer high praise of Montgomery.
“I obviously watched him play in this offense for a number of years and think he brings a lot to the table,” Petzing said. “A lot like (Jahmyr) Gibbs, he’s a dynamic back who can affect the game with the ball in his hands. He’s really a three-down back. There’s not a lot you’re going to look at him and say, ‘He can’t do this’ or ‘He can’t do that.’ So that’s all I said. I said, ‘Hey, I’m excited to work with you. I can’t wait to get you into the building,’ and that’s where I’m going to leave it.”
Why Petzing prefers to coach from the sideline, not booth
As an offensive coordinator for the Cardinals, Petzing worked on the sideline rather than up in the booth. It seems like that will continue in Detroit, although Petzing did mention he may try the booth for a preseason game.
As to why he prefers the sideline, Petzing offered a thoughtful answer:
“Communication was easier down with the quarterback,” Petzing said. “When you’re up, it’s a little bit harder to have quick conversations. I can’t have one-offs. I can’t do that. I got a little removed. Some people can do a really good job with it. For me, I was better suited on the sidelines. I also caught myself watching the game more than I’d like to watch it from the booth. Whereas down on the sideline, I’m kinda like looking at things, understanding where things are at, but I’m able to process faster and move on.‘
Petzing loves 13 personnel… but you need to have the right players
A lot of the conversation around Petzing’s hiring has been surrounding his high use of 13 personnel—or three tight end sets. After Rams coach Sean McVay popularized the formation this year with a strong run game and very effective play-action, the public has become infatuated with the strategy. But Petzing has been doing it for years—albeit at a smaller scale. He explained why he likes the strategy, but also warned that if the Lions don’t have the personnel to run it, they aren’t going to.
“If you have three tight ends that don’t have a multiple skill set, you’re not going to do it,” Petzing said. “Because the key is the matchups. When you have guys that can do a lot of different things, you can start to dictate things based on what the defense wants to do.
“I think as the game has evolved defensively over the last 5-7 years, you’re starting to see more and more different defensive personnels. It’s not just, ‘Hey, we’ve got base. Hey, we’ve got nickel. Here we go, this is it.’ You’re seeing different variations of base, different variations of nickel…
“Now, in 13 personnel, you have to be able to deal with everybody in the box and multiple gaps that you weren’t ready to account for. And then if you get big, I can spread things out and create people that you don’t want to have in space in space. So it allows you to dictate to the defense a little bit more some of the things that they have been trying to dictate to us based on who they’re putting on the field. It gives you the freedom to jump back and forth without being predictable.”
See More:
