Getty D'Andre Swift scores a touchdown for the Lions vs. the Ravens.
By their own low standards in the last few decades, the Detroit Lions are off to a fast start running the ball. That’s good news for the team in 2021 as they try to keep their offense moving in the right direction.
Even though that is the case, don’t count on running backs coach Duce Staley to rest on his laurels. The Lions have started strong, but Staley is very clear that the team hasn’t done anything yet given how much they have to improve upon by their own admission in 2021.
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Speaking with the media on Thursday, September 30 in an interview posted to DetroitLions.com, Staley was asked if he has been impressed with the running backs. As he said, the answer is yes thanks to hard work, even as there is more that the team has to work on.
“Those guys are working hard, man. They come out here, they practice hard, They leave everything on the field in practice, and they go on the field game day and leave everything on the field,” he said. “They’ll be the first to tell you we got a lot to work on. They take pride in their work. They go out here, they want to make themselves better along with their teammates, true leaders. So I’m happy where they are with that.”
Is the coach satisfied with some of the early results he’s seen, then?
“Until we get in the win column, that’s when I would say that,” Staley said honestly.
It’s been hard to disagree with what the Lions have done, but Staley is right to keep this group hungry. Thus far, it’s been a good start, but the team must continue to show improvement on the field and hunger off of it in order to get where things need to be.
Rookie Jermar Jefferson Wants Role With Lions
One player who hasn’t been seen much thus far is Jefferson, the rookie out of Oregon State. He’s been a healthy scratch for the first few week of the season and one of the few rookies who hasn’t gotten to show his stuff in a game. That’s something which Staley admitted is good from a motivational standpoint. As he said, it’s been painful for Jefferson to be sidelined, but that only helps to drive his hunger.
“You want him to be upset, that’s just how I see it,” Staley said. “I want him mad, I want him angry, I want him in my office at 6 a.m., I want him in my office at 6 p.m. wondering why because that tells me it means a lot to him. He loves it and wants to go out on the field and prove who he is. He has been that, he has been knocking on the door, he has been a little angry, a little standoffish which is cool. I can deal with that. That means he wants to play.”
Even though Jefferson hasn’t played, Staley is pleased with what the rookie has been able to show in terms of preparation from the classroom to the field from the start of the offseason until this point.
“Dating back just training camp, the first day stepping on the field. Learning how to be a professional. Just going out there, learning from the guys in front of him,” Staley said. “Now, being able to go back on the field the next couple day or next couple weeks and show what he’s learned. It’s one thing to take the meeting from in there and put it on the field so you got to leave the classroom and bring that meeting on the field. He’s able to do that now. I’m happy with where he is.”
Jefferson might only need to stay patient now to get an opportunity.
Lions Running Backs Playing Well Early in 2021
As a whole, though, Staley would have to admit that he is happy with the work his running backs have done. The team’s rushing attack has been solid, going for 105.7 yards per-game and 3 touchdowns which is good for 14th in the league. Typically, the Lions have struggled generating anything positive in terms of rush yards. D’Andre Swift is looking like a dynamo in the making, while Jamaal Williams has effectively toted the rock and has been a leader on the field for the team as well.
This has been a good testament to Staley’s skill as a coach and the way the players have bought in for a team approach. It will be great to see how much everyone can improve between now and the end of the season, and how much they can all grow as a result.
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