Category: Film Room

Lions commitment to the run game is making a difference

The Lions commitment to the run game on offense is making a difference for the whole team

Several weeks ago, the Detroit Lions suffered their 4th loss of the season. It was by far the worst loss of the season and one that wasn’t expected from this team. The vibe towards the Lions was that they were losing their way and everything they were doing seemed difficult.

However, the last two weeks have told a different story. The Lions have shown strong performances on offense and they’re beginning to look like the team we saw earlier in the year. Much of the success is due to their commitment in the running game.

Currently, the Lions average 141.1 rushing yards per game. That’s the 3rd best in the NFL and they’ve discovered a good balance between running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.

Weeks ago against Chicago, it felt like they went away from them when they went down 10-0 in that game. Even when they took the lead 13-10 at halftime, it felt like they had gained some momentum and would start running the football more. Their first two drives in the second half totaled 6 plays for 11 yards and only one was a run play. That play went for a total of four yards.

Between Gibbs and Montgomery in that game, they only had 21 total carries but both backs were averaging over 6 yards per carry. The Lions turning the football over didn’t help but had they stayed committed to both running backs in that game, I think there would have been different outcome.

Over the last two weeks, they’ve flipped the script. Between Montgomery and Gibbs, they’ve totaled 60 carries for 320 yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, that’s good for 5.33 rushing yards per carry.

As we’ve seen all season, getting the ball in the hands of Jahmry Gibbs is important. He runs hard and is one of the most explosive running backs in the league. As for Montgomery, he’s consistent between the tackles. He sheds initial contact well and is always falling forward for positive yardage.

In week 17, the Lions face one of their toughest tasks of the season by traveling to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. While the Cowboys have one of the best defensive units in football, they’ve shown they can lose games when they can’t stop the run.

Going back two weeks ago, the Cowboys got absolutely shredded on the ground by the Buffalo Bills. They gave up 266 rushing yards on 46 carries and three touchdowns against them. Last week against the Dolphins, they showed improvements by only allowing 91 rushing yards on 26 carries.

In total this season, the Cowboys have an average run defense. They allow 115.7 rushing yards per game and have given up 13 total rushing touchdowns this season.

If the Lions want any chance of beating the Cowboys, they will commit to running the football and chewing up the clock. They’ve shown they can do it against just about every single one of their opponents. Gibbs and Montgomery have proven to be one of the most consistent duos in the league and the Lions should continue to lean on them.

While the Lions have already won the NFC North, they can put pressure on the rest of the NFC by beating the Cowboys and continuing to fight for the number one overall seed in the NFC playoffs. One of the key ways they do that is with a continued commitment to the ground game.

 

Breaking down Nick Mullens’ game-ending INT, why didn’t he throw to Brandon Powell?

Tyler Forness breaks down the final interception from Nick Mullens and explains why he didn’t throw it to a wide open Brandon Powell

Sometimes when you see an interception thrown my the quarterback, especially one that is a backup like Minnesota Vikings QB Nick Mullens, it’s easy to place the blame on the quarterback. They are the one who makes the decision and throw that results in the interception.

However, it’s not always that simple. Yes, their pass resulted in an interception, but was it bad process? How did the result happen? The full answer lies in the process that Mullens used, especially when you see someone like Brandon Powell wide open with his arms up.

First, let’s talk about the formation. They start in a 3×2 set with Ham motioning in as an extra pass protector. Justin Jefferson is in the inside slot with Brandon Powell between him and K.J. Osborn. Having Jefferson in the slot will give him a free release and that’s key here.

The concept here is dual crossers from the strong side with a Y-cross from the far side with Johnny Mundt. It’s design is to put the safeties in conflict and in doing so, creates an opening for Jefferson at the top of the screen. Jefferson widens his route to create some extra space with the safety up top to make the throw a little easier for Mullens.

The progression has Powell, who runs into the flat as an outlet, essentially meaning that he’s an afterthought of the play. Mullens sees that Jefferson gets open and makes the correct read to get him the football. Unfortunately, the pass comes out of his hand like a wounded duck and it gets intercepted by Ifeatu Melifonwu.

The question that everybody had after the game was: Why didn’t Mullens throw the ball to Powell? The answer is simple.

Jefferson was open for a touchdown.

Yes, it stinks that pass got intercepted. Yes, the throw was bad but the process to make the decision to target Jefferson was smart. A good throw makes this a touchdown. Considering multiple factors, including you need a touchdown to win the game at the end, Mullens used the right process, he just can’t throw up a wounded duck. That is what you get with a backup quarterback at times and it’s beyond frustrating.

When the Vikings look to determine their starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, process is going to be more of a deciding factor than strictly results, but you still have to make the throws.

In conclusion, it’s fine to be mad at the result because of a wonky throw that only happens once out of every 100 attempts, but throwing to Powell for him to only gain 10 yards when the touchdown was there isn’t something worth being mad at. In fact, it would have some fighting against Kevin O’Connell for being “too conservative” as a playcaller.

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Lions film review: Offensive line gives this team an identity when healthy

Lions film review: Offensive line gives this team an identity when healthy, from Russell Brown

It’s no secret that the Lions offensive line is one of the best in football. When they’re not healthy, the offense can still score. However, when the starting five (from left to right) of Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Graham Glasgow and Penei Sewell are on the field at the same time, this team becomes different.

Their identity changes.

The whole script changes for the offense because they’re able to run the ball more effectively and quarterback Jared Goff gets far more comfortable in the pocket. Will Burchfield from 97.1 The Ticket, had a great post on X that showcased the importance of the Lions starting offensive line. It read:

When the starting offensive line is on the field together, the Lions are 5-0 and average an NFL-leading:

  • 38.4 points per game
  • 421.2 yards per game
  • 179.4 rushing yards per game
  • 5.5 yards per carry
  • Goff has a passer rating of 121.73

If this offensive line can stay healthy as the Lions push to the playoffs, it could be a fun winter for the fans and this team. When looking at the game against the Broncos, it was evident that the offensive line gets after it. They’re physical up front and create endless opportunities for the offense.

With 185 rushing yards and 448 total yards of offense against the Broncos, it was one of the best offensive performances on the season from the Lions. They went 5-for-10 on 3rd down and they converted on their only 4th down conversion of the game. Let’s look at the film to see some of the best blocks of the day from this Lions offensive line.

If you’re a defensive lineman and you get aligned between right tackle Penei Sewell and right guard Graham Glasgow, I wish you the best of luck. Those two together make it a tough day for the opposition when they get to combo block.

The play above is a perfect example. Highlighted are Glasgow and Sewell, and they’re going to double-team Dre’Mont Jones (Broncos DL 93). With the defender aligned in the B-gap as a 3-technique, it makes it a much easier block. Once the ball is snapped, they crash into the defender and take him for a ride.

Jones is one of the better defenders for the Broncos. However, he’s faced with a tough match-up on this rep. They turn him and clear him out of the way so Jahmyr Gibbs isn’t met immediately by contact.

The most consistent and potentially, most dominant offensive lineman for the Lions is Penei Sewell. He’s been so good when run and pass blocking. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Sewell has allowed a 2.8% pressure rate this season. That would be the lowest total for any offensive tackle in football.

Looking at the play above, it’s a pass play for Jared Goff and the Lions. But once the ball is snapped, you can see Sewell highlighted. Once the defensive lineman attacks the outside shoulder of Sewell, you can see that Sewell is under control and not panicking. His foot speed is good but his hand speed is quick and ready to attack. Meanwhile, he hits a snatch-trap technique on the defensive lineman. This forces the defender into the dirt and helps give Goff a clean pocket.

Additionally, look at right guard Graham Glasgow. He looks for work once he knows that Sewell has secured the defensive end. So rather than standing still, Glasgow turns his head inside and gets the ribs of the defensive tackle. Meanwhile, Decker and Jackson do a nice job on an exchange for the left side. Goff is kept clean, it allows the routes to develop and it ultimately leads to a first down for the Lions.

The last play I want to focus on is one where quarterback Jared Goff is given plenty of time. In previous weeks, it felt like Goff was rushing through his reads and progressions. Against the Broncos, he looked more comfortable and much of that is due to the starting offensive line being on the field.

Looking at the play above, the Lions come out in a shotgun formation and once the ball is snapped, the Broncos four-man rush is immediately stopped in it’s tracks. This allows Goff to move in the pocket and scan the field. In the process, he finds Jameson Williams wide open in the middle of the field for a a first down.

Against the Broncos, Goff was only sacked twice and was only pressured 8 times (per Pro Football Reference). He looked more comfortable and much of that is due to the offensive line. Additionally, the Lions offensive line paved the way for the Lions to pile on 185 rushing yards. It was a big win for Detroit as they got their 10th win of the season. It’s evident that when the offensive line is healthy, they give this offense and team a new identity.

Film room: Lions aggressive defense against the Broncos helps set the tone

Film room: Lions aggressive defense against the Broncos helps set the tone

Over the last several weeks, I’ve had some criticism towards the Detroit Lions defense. It was all warranted. They weren’t playing up to par and were getting torched on just about every possession. To fix it, the Lions had to make some tough decisions. They had to bench veteran players such as Jerry Jacobs and Tracy Walker.

This opened the door for players such as Khalil Dorsey, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Kindle Vildor. Love it or hate it, the defensive moves were needed. It appears to have provided a spark and hopefully, it’s one that wakes up other defenders that tend to sleep walk through some of these games.

One of the key adjustments the Lions needed to make on defense was to become more aggressive. Against the Broncos, they did just that. Russell Wilson went 18-for-32 with 223 passing yards and a touchdown.

But the pressure got to him as he was sacked twice and he was marked with four bad throws, per Pro Football Reference. In addition to that, Wilson was blitzed 15 times in this game and it led to 22 total pressures for the Lions defense. Let’s jump into the tape and take a look at some of the blitzes the Lions dialed up against the Broncos on Saturday night.

Starting with one of the biggest plays of the game, we direct our attention to the play above. The Broncos come out with their ’12’ personnel (one running back and two tight ends). To respond to it, the Lions defense have a single-high safety over the top of their defense and they’ve got a safety down in the box.

The safety down in the box is Ifeatu Melifonwu and the moment the ball is snapped, he fires up-field on a blitz. As quarterback Russell Wilson fakes the hand-off to the running back, he begins to roll to his right. Before he can even get his eyes downfield to try and find a receiver, he’s met by Melifonwu.

This blitz was designed perfectly and not only did Melifonwu hit Wilson for the sack, he also knocked hte ball out. This led to a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs. Even though the Lions offense weren’t able to put up any points after this turnover, it was a much needed play for the Lions defense. They needed to make a stop with the Broncos threatening to score. Additionally, this was a play that I’m sure helped build confidence for the Lions defense.

Next, I want to highlight another blitz made by safety Ifeatu Melifonwu. The Broncos come out in their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end) but they’re in a condensed set with a slot receiver and tight end aligned near the tackles.

Once the ball is snapped, you can see how the Lions defensive backs rotate into what appears to be a Cover-2 look defensively. This gives them a two-high shell on both sides of the field but the key is Melifonwu. Once the ball is snapped, he flies towards the quarterback and his pressure forces Wilson out of the pocket. With good coverage by the Lions secondary, Wilson is forced to throw this ball away and the Broncos have to punt the ball away.

In this game, Melifonwu played a season-high 62 defensive snaps. He had one of the most productive days of his career. He had 9 total tackles, one sack and two pass deflections for a Lions defense that desperately needed a spark.

The last play I want to focus on is a blitz from defensive back Brian Branch. On the play above, the Broncos come out in a 2×2 set out of a shotgun formation. Aligned in the slot at the bottom of the screen is Brian Branch and he’s going to get a good pressure on this play.

Once the ball is snapped, the Lions send a 6-man pressure with Branch and Anzalone blitzing. Meanwhile, the Lions play man coverage on this and despite a miscue in the secondary (see the WR 17 on the bottom), the pressure from Detroit is real and it causes a bad throw.

As Branch blitzes, Wilson locks onto Jerry Jeudy on his right and is intending on taking a shot downfield. However, Branch delivers a shot to the back of Wilson and it causes this ball to float into the air and ultimately land incomplete. This forces the Broncos into a 3rd down but it’s good to see that despite being up 25 points, the Lions defense still has their foot on the gas.

With the Lions pushing for a division title and a shot at the playoffs, this defense will need to continue to be aggressive. Blitzing and putting trust in having good coverage downfield is one of the key ways this defense can keep the opposition at bay. It’ll be interesting to see what changes the defense continues to make with three games left in the regular season. One thing is for sure, they took a step in the right direction against the Broncos and hopefully soon, we’ll see Gardner-Johnson and McNeill back in the lineup too.

7 plays highlight Ty Chandler’s breakout performance vs. Bengals

Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler got his opportunity to start on Saturday. These plays agaisnt the Bengals highlight his breakout

The Minnesota Vikings didn’t have the strongest group at running back going into the year but there was always a path forward in terms of development.

Alexander Matison entered the season as the top running back for the Vikings. The fifth-year running back had started six games in his tenure with the Vikings and averaged 79.5 YPG with three total touchdowns across those starts.

This season, he hasn’t been able to take a step forward and a high ankle sprain suffered against the Las Vegas Raiders opened up the door for second-year running back Ty Chandler.

Chandler, who happens to be slightly older than Mattison, was a very explosive player in college once he got the opportunity at North Carolina. The little things were what was holding him back. Poor vision on zone concepts and struggling to be consistent in pass blocking was part of the reason why the Vikings traded for Cam Akers in September.

Agaisnt the Cincinnati Bengals, Chandler got the opportunity to be the lead back and he took it by the horns and looked like the best player in the running back room. These seven plays highlight how well he played and why he should be the guy moving forward.

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky breaks down Vikings failed tush push

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky gives a detailed breakdown of the failed tush push that doomed the Vikings chances in overtime.

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky broke down the details surrounding the failed tush push that doomed the Minnesota Vikings in their 27-24 overtime loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Orlovsky was a quarterback in the NFL for 13 years before becoming the analyst we know today. He knows a thing or two about the quarterback sneak, and the Bengals deserve their kudos for making the Vikings play for their below-average execution on this play.

Orlovsky outlined the pre-snap movements that triggered the Bengals to prepare for the sneak. The motion of Brandon Powell behind quarterback Nick Mullens and Mullens’ step back to prepare to vault forward were prime indicators for the Bengals’ defensive tackles to jump the snap and beat the Vikings’ interior to the spot, rendering the sneak useless.

Football is a game of inches. It’s a game of minor details that, if executed, can make or break a game or even a season. Minnesota had a chance to close this game out. They were only a few yards away from field goal range and taking firm control of their playoff future. Instead, they sit at 7-7, adding to the logjam of teams battling for the final two NFC wild-card spots.

Top takeaways from film review of the Lions’ Week 14 loss to the Bears

Top takeaways from film review of the Lions’ Week 14 loss to the Bears, with notes on Goff, the pass rush, replacement players and more

This week’s Detroit Lions film review was not a happy experience. Some weeks when the Lions lose, there are enough positives and circumstantial developments that watching the All-22 can make me feel better about the loss. Not this week, not this team’s performance in Chicago. If anything, I felt even worse about the Lions’ 28-13 loss to the Bears.

Normally I do the film review package as a “What I learned from…” piece, but this week I wanted to instead focus more on the “quick hits” portion of those breakdowns.

Jack Campbell stepped up in a big way against the Saints

Jack Campbell stepped up in a big way against the Saints, and Russell Brown breaks it down

When linebacker Alex Anzalone went down with a thumb injury two weeks ago, there were a lot of questions surrounding the player that was going to step up in his place. Some had thought it was going to be Derrick Barnes and others thought it was Jack Campbell. When Jack Campbell’s name was brought up, there was some hesitation with some fans.

Their reasoning was simple.

He was a rookie that was playing with hesitation and was missing tackles in previous games. But most importantly, he had big shoes to fill. Trying to replace Anzalone is tough to do in this Lions defense. He’s an experienced player that comes from this defensive system during his days with the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, Anzalone leads the Lions with 87 tackles this season.

Certainly, the pressure got put on the shoulders of the rookie linebacker from Iowa. But he thrived in the situation and stepped up to the plate in a big way for the Lions defense. Let’s review the tape of Jack Campbell’s performance against the New Orleans Saints.

Starting with the first play that really stood out on tape was the one above. The Saints come out with their 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end) and prior to the snap, they motion a receiver on a jet-motion. Faking the jet, the quarterback goes to hand the ball off to the running back.

For the Lions, they come out in their nickel package with their inside linebackers being Derrick Barnes (LB 55) and Jack Campbell (LB 46). Aligned in a ’30’ technique (B-gap) is Campbell. Despite sliding inside a gap to account for the motion, Campbell does a great job reading the quarterback.

Campbell knows the hand-off to the running back is about to happen and he immediately gets downhill and attacks the ballcarrier. It’s a tremendous fill and tackle by Campbell and as you can see, he was pretty fired up about it. This play just goes to show some of the instincts and overall ability that he has as a player.

The next play I want to focus on is the one above where Campbell does a great job reading QB power. Looking at that play, the Saints come out of a shotgun formation with their Swiss army knife, Taysom Hill (TE/QB 7).

As you can see, Jack Campbell and Malcolm Rodriguez are the inside linebackers as the Lions come out in their nickel package. Aligned in the A-gap (between the left guard and center) is Campbell. Prior to the snap, Hill motions a receiver out of the backfield and away from him.

Once the ball is snapped, Campbell appears to blitz but honestly, I think he’s reading Hill the entire way. He presses the line-of-scrimmage and takes away any potential cutback lane for Hill. In the process, he grabs ahold of the legs of Hill and doesn’t let go. This play perfectly sums up how Campbell played throughout much of this game. Scratching and clawing his way to every ball to find ways to make a play for the defense.

Lastly, I want to focus on some of the pass coverage from Jack Campbell in this game. Against the Saints, he was targeted four times and allowed three receptions for 46 yards. Throughout the season, he’s allowed 20 receptions for 199 yards and two touchdowns.

When watching Campbell throughout the season, he’s been doing well in coverage. Despite playing with hesitation in some of his drops, he’s right there every single week. With more time, Campbell will start transitioning his position from just good coverage to interceptions and pass breakups.

Looking at the play above, he’s covering one of the best pass catching backs in the league in Alvin Kamara. The Saints come out 2×2 with a condensed set to the right of their formation. Meanwhile, the Lions come out in their nickel package with Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Jack Campbell. As the routes develop downfield, the Lions are in good coverage and Carr quickly checks this down to Kamara.

While it appears that Kamara is juggling the football prior to catching it, Campbell was with him every step of the way. He closes any separation that is between him and the running back and he makes a good open field tackle. This was a good stop for the Lions and it setup 3rd down.

Overall, Jack Campbell has been progressing every single week. He looked comfortable “manning” the middle of the Lions defense and it wouldn’t be surprising if it’s something that happens a little bit more down the stretch. Especially if Anzalone isn’t going to be playing at 100% each week. Regardless, there’s been a lot of promising signs from Campbell throughout his rookie season but his performance against the Saints was his best by far.

Breaking down the Jameson Williams touchdown against the Saints

Breaking down the spectacular Jameson Williams touchdown for the Lions against the Saints

Just a few weeks back, things were looking bleak for Jameson Williams and his young career with the Detroit Lions. Drops were a concern and he was playing limited snaps. However, he’s done the little things over recent weeks and it’s earning him the opportunity to make big plays.

In fact, we’re getting to a point where it feels like Jameson Williams needs to be slotted as the permanent number two receiver for this offense.

The reason is that whenever he’s on the field, he’s making a key block or making a big play with the ball in his hands. Teams have to honor his speed, and it just feels like he gives this offense a different element that they didn’t have previously.

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This season, Williams has only played 271 offensive snaps but he’s only been active since week 5 of the season. Meanwhile, his offensive snap percentage has been 50% or higher since Week 9 against the Chargers. But if the Lions started playing him more, he would start taking snaps from receiver Josh Reynolds.

For Reynolds, he’s played 611 offensive snaps this season and has been averaging 64% or more snaps since week 9 against the Chargers. During that time, Reynolds has only recorded 6 receptions for 53 yards and a score. Despite playing less snaps, we’re seeing Williams produce better results. Since week 9, Williams has recorded 7 receptions for 124 yards and a score.

To me, it’s evident that the change needs to happen. Williams provides more of a spark for an offense that is already creative enough to get the ball into the hands of their play makers.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson showed that creativity with a double reverse that found Williams diving into the end-zone for a touchdown that extended the Lions lead to 12 points. Let’s breakdown this touchdown for the Lions talented first round pick from the 2022 NFL Draft!

Despite being up 21-0 on the Saints, the Lions found themselves in a much tighter ball game than expected. Entering the 4th quarter, it was 27-21 and it was starting to feel like the Saints were going to take the lead. However, Jameson Williams and the Lions offense had a better idea.

Looking at the play above, we’re just seconds into the 4th quarter and the Lions are faced with a 2nd-and-10 on the Saints 19-yard line. The Lions come out with Jared Goff under center with his 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends) on the field.

Once the ball is snapped, Goff fakes the hand-off to David Montgomery in the backfield and while Goff is carrying out his fake to the running back, he hands the ball off to wide receiver Kaliff Raymond. This is due to Raymond looping around to the backfield on the reverse.

However, to spice it up, not only does Raymond get the ball from Goff, he ends up handing it off to Jameson Williams. What makes this play remarkable is that Williams almost goes about 15 yards into the backfield to get the ball and then his speed and acceleration after getting the ball is just so impressive.

With a clear lane to the end-zone, Williams puts his foot on the gas and doesn’t stop until he scores. Lost in the speed of Jamo, there were two key blocks downfield on this play.

The first one is Graham Glasgow getting out in space and kicking out the cornerback that is flying across the field to make the tackle. Additionally, Penei Sewell blocks downfield and gets up to the safety to close off any angle that defender has to the football. The speed of Jamo is just the cherry on top for this play.

Sam LaPorta has best game of his young career against the Saints

Lions rookie ET Sam LaPorta has best game of his young career against the Saints, and Russell Brown breaks down the film

Throughout much of this season, Sam LaPorta has been a key contributor to the Detroit Lions offense. It’s not overly surprising but at the same time, LaPorta is playing a position that tends to take a year or two of development to see the type of results we’re seeing right now.

So far this season, LaPorta is fourth in the NFL in receptions (64) and fourth in receiving yards (679) for tight ends. More impressively, he’s tied for the league lead for touchdowns at the position with six touchdowns.

Through 12 games of his young career, LaPorta has already put himself in the conversation to be on the same level of players such as Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Mark Andrews. Continuing to make his case, LaPorta had the best game of his career in week 13 against the Saints with 9 receptions for 140 yards and a score. Let’s jump into the film to review why he had such a strong performance against New Orleans.

Starting with his first reception of the day, it was one of the most important plays of the day. It was the second touchdown of the game and was a big part to the Lions hot start against the Saints.

Looking at the play above, the Lions come out with their 11 personnel (one tight end and one running back) in a 2×2 set. Aligned off-the-line of scrimmage, you can see LaPorta, who appears to be an H-back. Prior to the snap, quarterback Jared Goff sends LaPorta on an exit motion to the right of the formation. This gives the Lions a trips right formation as the ball is being snapped.

Once the ball is snapped, LaPorta explodes vertically up the field before breaking in towards the middle of the field. Initially, Jared Goff, eyes wide receiver Josh Reynolds on the post route that freezes the safeties in the end-zone. This gives a window for Goff to hit LaPorta in-stride as he heads to the end-zone. Goff does just that and it leads to the Lions second touchdown of the game.

Moving to the next play, I want to focus on the ability of LaPorta to run after-the-catch. This play was on the Lions 3rd drive of the game and it was the play that set-up the touchdown pass for Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Looking at the play above, you can see the Lions aligned in a twins right formation with their 11 personnel (one tight end and one running back). At the top of the screen, you can see LaPorta aligned as the lone receiver.

Once the ball is snapped, he runs a deep over and is able to shake off the initial contact from the safety that tries to tackle him. Afterwards, LaPorta is able to gain plenty of additional yardage after-the-catch.

Whenever a player goes off with 9 receptions, it’s hard to break down each one. That said, the best reception and best play of the day for LaPorta came on the play above. It was 3rd down for the Lions and they came out in a 2×2 set with their 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end).

Prior to the snap, LaPorta gets motioned to the left and it becomes a trips left formation. Once the ball is snapped, he runs a crosser over the middle of the field. Reading the Cover-1 man defense with the single-high safety, quarterback Jared Goff knows that he should have an opening to fit a pass to him.

As LaPorta starts to make his break, the opening is created. Despite the ball being thrown behind him, he makes a great adjustment and it was one of the most important plays of the day for this Lions offense.