Getty Anthony Lynn standing with Justin Herbert in 2020.
The offseason workout period has gone just about as well as possible for the Detroit Lions, who have been transitioning a new quarterback and offense as part of some wholesale changes.
How those changes get off the ground is going to determine how well the Lions perform, and as a result, training camp is going to be a time where the team can begin to iron some of these issues out.
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Heading into camp, it’s time to start pondering some roster questions, and Bleacher Report recently took a look at examining the best ones. Writer Brad Gagnon sees the relationship of Jared Goff and Anthony Lynn as being critical to the team moving forward.
He wrote:
“The Detroit Lions have a new head coach, a new offensive coordinator, a new quarterback and a new-look supporting cast for that new quarterback. So the natural question entering camp is how Jared Goff will operate under coordinator Anthony Lynn’s tutelage.
Lynn’s head coaching stint with the Los Angeles Chargers didn’t end well last season, but he did get a lot out of Justin Herbert and has often gotten the most out of his running games. If he can do that in Detroit, it could make life a lot easier on Goff. But he’ll certainly want to get vertical often as well, which could be interesting considering the lack of wide receiver talent in Detroit.
This will be the first time we’ve truly seen Goff outside Sean McVay’s system, excluding his seven games as a rookie. The good news is he says he feels “empowered” by Lynn and Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
Soon, we’ll see if that transfers to the field.”
So far, the relationship between Goff and Lynn has been a symbiotic one, and that is going to be what decides what happens on the field for the team in 2021. Knowing that Goff is coming off what could be described as a dysfunctional relationship near the end of his time in Los Angeles, nurturing him for a future in Detroit will be key.
During offseason workouts, Goff has been a stud. The hope is that continues through camp for a team which badly needs its quarterback to be solid in 2021.
Lynn Interested in Winning on Offense
Many have wondered if the Lions will be more run-heavy given Dan Campbell’s desire for toughness. Others have maintained that Campbell might want to pass the ball more given his experience with the New Orleans Saints as an assistant coach lately.
The man who will determine what really happens is Lynn, and while many might speculate about what Detroit’s offense may look like, it’s harder to get an idea of what Lynn could want to do. As he explained when speaking with the media, the answer to that question is pretty obvious from a coaching standpoint.
What type of offense will the Lions have? It doesn’t really matter as long as it’s one that helps the team win some games most of all.
New Lions OC Anthony Lynn: “At the end of the day, we just want to win damn games. If we’ve gotta throw it 50 times, we will. If we’ve gotta run it 50 times, we will.”
But adds, “I believe the more ways you can run it, the more ways you can throw it.”
In reality, that’s exactly what offense should be about. Many will try to claim the Lions should be one thing or another, but the team simply needs to find the right balance on the field to make them winners. Whether that involves throwing the ball multiple times or running the ball multiple times shouldn’t exactly matter.
Lynn is smart enough to know that his career in the city will be determined by wins and losses and nothing else, so it’s smart that he believes the approach to win will be whatever the given game should dictate on offense.
Goff Happy for Input With Lions
Perhaps the best thing that Lynn has done is empower Goff within the new Detroit offense. If there’s one thing Goff seems to be the most pleased about early on in Detroit, it’s his ability to collaborate with the team and their decision makers within the offensive plan. As he explained, he feels as if the Lions and their staff have been empowering him to make decisions and get more involved in the offensive planning.
Jared Goff said it’s been fun and cool to start off with the level of involvement he’s had in the direction of the offense.
Goff likely never felt completely trusted in Los Angeles, and with McVay calling the shots for the offense, it’s true he likely had little impact on what the Rams did from an offensive standpoint. Now, Goff is very happy that his new coaches are allowing him to get involved and make an imprint on his new team and offense.
If that continues, the team will be in great shape moving forward, which is why the Lions have to try and make it happen.