Getty Jared Goff hands the ball off to a Lions running back in 2021 against the Cardinals.
The Detroit Lions haven’t enjoyed the most consistent of running games through the years, so the fact that the team has seemingly figured out how to run the ball is major news for everyone at this stage of the season.
Once again, the Lions looked solid in the trenches amid a dominating win against the Arizona Cardinals, and win or lose, it’s been one of the major constants for the team this season. Finally, no matter who is in the backfield, the Lions can run the ball again which is good for the franchise.
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That’s just what former NFL lineman turned broadcaster Brian Baldinger sees. After the Lions dispatched Arizona by a score of 30-12, Baldinger looked at the tape and found a team that was able to run the ball confidently with young runner Craig Reynolds. As Baldinger said, based on how the team’s offensive line is blocking, it looks as if the Lions have finally found a running game to rely on.
“The Lions, did they find their running back? Craig Reynolds,” Baldinger proclaimed. “Best day I’ve seen from a Lions running back in a long time… they got a running game. The Lions got a running game. Straight out of Kutztown State. Look at this group go to work (Taylor) Decker, (Tommy) Kraemer, (Evan) Brown, (Halapoulivaati) Vaitai and (Penei) Sewell. Craig Reynolds, third year in the league. What a day. Lions found a running game and shocked the NFL.”
Shock is a good word considering few would expect a guy like Reynolds to dominate the way he has or the Lions to run the ball with efficiency like they have in 2021. As Baldinger knows as a former lineman, though, things certainly do look good for the Lions up front right now.
Lions Running Game Has Been Dormant for Decades
Baldinger’s exuberance about what the Lions accomplished can be excused because he, like plenty of others, understands how bad the team has been running the ball for decades. For the most part, the Lions have had running backs come and go through the years since Barry Sanders dominated for the team in the late 1980s and most of the 1990s. Since Sanders, the team has blown through veteran and rookie runners alike trying to solve the issue of running the football. The closest the team came to getting the job done was Reggie Bush in the 2013 season. From there, it took until 2017 for the team to finally have a 100 yard rusher in Kerryon Johnson. This season, the Lions have broken that barrier multiple times showing how consistent they are finally looking in the trenches with multiple different options.
The future, as Baldinger seems to note, looks pretty darn good for the Lions.
Reynolds Making Solid Case for Roster Inclusion
Is Reynolds the runner of the future in Detroit? Perhaps that is the case indeed. It would have been tempting for folks to write off Reynolds or forget about him entirely based on the fact that the preseason was long ago and it’s a completely different animal than the regular season. Even such, Reynolds always seems to be able to offer a stark reminder that he’s to be taken seriously whenever he touches the ball. While Godwin Igwebuike and Jermar Jefferson have shined in spots, Reynolds is setting himself up for a potential role moving forward given how solid he has looked running the ball.
In the last two weeks, Reynolds has put up great numbers with a total of 195 yards on the ground. It wasn’t long ago that the Lions weren’t able to get 100 yards in a game much less from a player, so what Reynolds has done is nothing to look down on.
Reynolds has proven in a short amount of time that he might have the goods to stick it out with the team, and in Week 15, managed to do that once again with another big performance against Arizona. Reynolds rushed for 112 yards and was tough and durable on the field again for the Lions just as Baldinger showed in the clips.
It isn’t hard to see why Reynolds deserves a shot to stick in the rotation. A player coming in and doing what he has done on the ground is not an accident at all, and the way he is able to switch direction and run has been downright impressive. What is happening is not a simple case of a player bursting on the scene and not sustaining production. From the start of the season until now, Reynolds has more than earned his shot with the team.
Whether it be Reynolds, Jamaal Williams, D’Andre Swift, Jermar Jefferson or Godwin Igwebuike, the Lions have run the ball this year and that is definite proof that the team is starting to turn things around in the trenches and elsewhere.
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