Getty Jared Goff readies for a pass against Arizona in 2021.
The Detroit Lions had one of the NFL’s least effective offenses at generating big plays in 2021, and the team wants to see that fact change the most this coming season.
With better health up front, in the backfield and at wide receiver, there is no reason the Lions can’t take some major steps forward and be more consistent at creating big plays down the field.
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Still, entering a new season, folks aren’t completely sure that the Lions have done enough to keep themselves relevant and advance themselves ahead of a new season. After some of the offseason heavy lifting was done, Bleacher Report and writer Kristopher Knox took a look at ranking every team’s offense. Perhaps not surprisingly, he is not a believer in Detroit being much improved at this point.
While the Lions weren’t power ranked as the worst offense in the league, the team didn’t place high on the list whatsoever. Knox had Detroit ranked in the 26 position, and while he admitted “there’s a lot of upside with this unit overall” for the Lions, he still cautioned fans to “expect offensive inconsistency” next year given the team has not made it past the early stages of their rebuild.
With health and players taking a jump, the Lions could be better, but getting there will be the ultimate gamble for the team. It will take a lot going right for the Lions to be better than they have been in recent years, and that is likely what is reflected in these early rankings. Still, there might be a touch more cause for optimism than is admitted here.
Lions’ Offseason Improvements to Offense
While some of the team’s biggest changes have been on the defensive side, the Lions haven’t completely ignored the offensive side of the ball, either. Detroit’s biggest addition was signing wideout DJ Chark, who is a big-bodied receiver formally of Jacksonville. The Lions hope Chark can get down the field and make big plays through the air to help in unlocking the offense. The Lions traded up for Jameson Williams in the draft, and while he is not a lock to play a fast role due to injury, he could offer Detroit a midseason boost. The Lions also brought back their two most productive wideouts in Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds to help in adding more danger to the offense. With health from T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift, the team has to feel like they can do more damage than more might expect.
Will Detroit’s changes have been enough combined with health to push them over the top? The team likely thinks so, which is why these ratings will be interesting to watch evolve as the season gets going after the summer concludes.
Why Lions Offense Could Be Better During 2022
Detroit may not have made splashy or bold moves this offseason, but the team likely didn’t feel like they needed to in order to get better. Perhaps the biggest variable for the team is that of health, and if the Lions can stay healthy in the trenches and at some of the skill spots, they should trend to be much better on the field, especially on offense. The team likely also has faith in Goff being a resurgent presence at quarterback, given he looked more than competent down the stretch. Goff’s performance against the Arizona Cardinals, a playoff team, lends to the notion that he could help the team in doing some bigger winning in the future if all the weapons play well as well as stay healthy.
Goff’s potentially improved presence is a big reason the Lions could be much better. He will be comfortable within Detroit’s offense after a year of growing and appreciating the changes Johnson brought, and that group has added some players like Chark, Williams and others to the mix. If health is maintained, there is no reason the Lions can’t be a top 15-20 offense and surprise some folks. That would be better numbers than is currently being projected here by Bleacher Report.
Nevertheless, folks may want to resist the urge to give up on the Lions quickly this year on offense. They could surprise some people in a big way and may indeed have upside even amid struggles.