Getty Marvin Hall takes home a deep touchdown.
Marvin Hall has wasted no time making a big impact with the Detroit Lions. He’s become known as the team’s deep ball assassin, and with nearly 40 yards per-catch this season, it’s a title that fits him well given the plays he has delivered his team thus far.
Coming into training camp, Hall was on few radars. As folks speculated who might step up at wide receiver, he was far from anyone’s first guess, with plenty of others occupying more attention. But with big play after big play, Hall has become hard to ignore and not even he can believe what he’s been able to do in the league in 2019.
“It’s surreal just to take the path I have and make the impact I have made here? It’s a blessing,” Hall told the media this week. For Hall, however, he’d rather talk about those who have helped him get there, particularly Matthew Stafford.
“It starts with the quarterback. He’s a gunslinger. He’s going to put the ball up any time we have a matchup and I love it,” he said.
Stafford has a habit of going to the hot hand, and in terms of Hall, he’s found one. The wideout sees that too thus far.
“That’s what it seems like here. Me personally, I just run my routes and when the ball comes, I just try to make the most of it,” he said.
As a whole, Hall has a deep appreciation for Stafford and what he can do now that he has seen it up close.
“I respect the guy I have as a quarterback. I just love it,” he said.
Marvin Hall’s Stats
Hall, a wideout who competed with the Washington Huskies in college, bounced around on several teams and practice squads before finding his best home in Detroit. He played with the Atlanta Falcons the longest and caught a touchdown pass there from Matt Ryan. He’s caught 3 touchdowns in the league for 410 yards, but in Detroit, Hall has a long reception of 58 yards and has managed to get loose multiple times down the sideline to make impressive catches. Safe to say he’s earned his spot on the roster where many would not have seen a path for him coming into the season.
Last week, Hall got loose for his third career score, and it came on another deep ball, something he has become especially known for in Detroit’s improved offense.
Between Hall and running back J.D. McKissic, a big part of the offense has been found in explosive plays, something the Lions lacked greatly in recent years. With the waiver wire work to land him by Bob Quinn, the Lions deserve credit for getting their hands on a couple overlooked guys who are helping to round out the roster in Detroit.
Marvin Hall’s Deep Ball Confidence
It’s not easy to be a deep ball guy in the NFL, even though Hall might make it look that way. Tracking those long passes requires exceptional speed and skill as well as repetition, and that’s something which Hall works hard at in order to hone his craft.
“I focus on it a lot in the offseason. I know because of my speed I’m going to be a deep threat,” Hall said. “A lot of the time in the offseason, I like to work on that no matter how it is. I Have those little glasses with distraction, throw the ball up, I just have to track it. I’ve gotten pretty good at it.”
As can be expected, Hall does have a track background, which allows for plenty of the separation he gets in the first place, but combine that with the ability to snag plenty of passes, and that’s how a true home run hitter at the position is born. It’s equal parts preparation and execution.
Additionally, as Hall knows, having the right guy to throw the ball so far in the first place can help a lot.
READ NEXT: How Lions Rookie Class Is Producing in 2019