Darrell Bevell – Page 10 – Syndication Server

Adrian Peterson will remain the Lions lead RB

Lions OC Darrell Bevell trumpeted Peterson but also Kerryon Johnson’s pass protection

The Detroit Lions running back by committee is morphing into a more traditional setup with a lead back and situational reserves. And the lead back entering Week 4 is not Kerryon Johnson or second-round rookie D’Andre Swift. It’s Adrian Peterson.

Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell was asked about the shift to Peterson as the primary back in the Week 3. Peterson had 22 carries for 75 yards in the win over Arizona. That’s more carries than Swift (6) or Johnson (20) had total snaps.

“It’s not anything that those guys are or aren’t doing,” Bevell said in his press conference. “We’re just trying to, again, accentuate their positives and put them in positions to be successful. You saw [D’Andre] Swift. His plays were a little bit down. We want to keep those up and get him more involved. The one play he catches, he has a nice catch-and-run, looks fast, looks explosive.”

Bevell cited Peterson’s incredible physical condition despite his advanced age (35) for a running back,

“…this guy is a freak of nature now. I don’t know where that wall is or where he’s going to hit it. The guy is always asking for more. Like you said, he is in great shape; he takes care of his body. He does all those little things to set himself up for that success. I don’t know when it’s going to happen, but he wants it. We want him to have it. We’ll keep continuing to go there.”

Bevell did have nothing but positive things to say about Johnson and his performance in pass protection in Arizona.

“Adrian took a little bit more of the running load, but Kerryon (Johnson), really to me, was player of the game. He was phenomenal in his protection pickups, in all the little detail nuances that we needed particularly on Jesse (James’) touchdown. He was a huge part of that play. His protection pickup – I mean there was one where they’re picking in the middle and he picks up basically both linebackers that were coming, has some physical plays there, really strong when we had the ball.”

That appears to leave Swift, a highly-touted second-round rookie, a decided third on the depth chart.

Signing Adrian Peterson makes sense for both the Lions and the RB

The Detroit Lions are signing Adrian Peterson to a one-year deal and it makes a lot of sense for both the team and the player.

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The Detroit Lions are signing running back Adrian Peterson to a 1-year contract and this is a deal that makes sense for both sides for a multitude of reasons.

Let’s take a look at why this deal likely happened so quickly.

The most glaring reason is the Lions injury history at the position. Starter Kerryon Johnson has not made it through either of his two NFL seasons without having to be placed on injured reserve. Expected co-starter rookie D’Andre Swift has been banged up in training camp and missed two weeks of valuable experience.

It’s not ideal, we’ll say that,” offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said of Swift missing time. “There’s a lot on these rookies’ plates right now just in terms of everything’s new for them. Obviously, he’s trying to pick up a whole new offense and we did not have the offseason… It’s one thing to see them on paper, it’s one thing to see them on tape, but it’s another thing to go out there and actually execute what you’re supposed to execute, make the decisions that you’re supposed to make at a quick level, and he’s missing all those different reps.”

As a 13 year veteran, Peterson can help Swift get up to speed with the playbook, while also providing the Lions with insurance in the health department. Peterson has only missed one game due to injury in the last two seasons and rushed for 898 yards in 2019 and 1,042 yards in 2018.

Peterson is also a terrific scheme fit, which should be no surprise after he began his NFL career playing four years (2007-10) under Bevell in Minnesota. Peterson can run between the tackles, catch passes out of the backfield, and is one of the best in the NFL as selling play action — something Matthew Stafford also excels at and is a staple in the Lions scheme.

At age 35, Peterson’s days of being a workhorse back are likely behind him – he was comfortable in a complementary role last season in Washington — and with the Lions taking a running back by committee approach to their backfield, he should fit in nicely into a three-back rotation.

While entering into a three-back rotation may seem like a downgrade for Peterson, the Lions situation will still afford him plenty of touches.

The Lions scheme relies on a power back and neither Johnson nor Swift are expected to fill that role. Currently, Bo Scarbrough is filling that role but the majority of those snaps — if not all — are now expected to shift to Peterson. Add in Scarbrough’s long injury history with Johnson and Swift’s, and it’s clear why the Lions are taking a collective approach to the position.

At the end of the day, the Lions are getting a veteran back with scheme experience who has been healthy the last two seasons and upgrades a position they desperately want to rely on. Peterson gets to step into a familiar situation, won’t be expected to carry the load, but will still have plenty of opportunities to get touches and extend his career.

Win-win.

5 reasons to be optimistic for the Lions ahead of training camp

With some hype for the Detroit Lions, here are 5 reasons why you should be drinking the Honolulu blue Kool-Aid heading into training camp

The Detroit Lions are finally all together and ready to square off in their first padded practice this Monday. Tomorrow, the Lions will get their first look at all the players and coaches in their natural state and see what they have to work with.

There will be plenty of questions, but there are a few reasons to be optimistic about the Lions heading into training. So let us take a seat, sip on some that delicious Honolulu Blue Kool-Aid together and see why we should be excited for the Lions ahead of training camp.

The Darrell Bevell effect

It would be hard to argue that anyone had a more significant effect on the Lions last year than offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. Bevell was able to tap into every aspect of the Lions offense and bring out a high octane, well-balanced offense that they have been missing for quite some time. I believe if it wasn’t for losing a few key players to injury, last season would’ve been a different story — considering how well they were hitting their stride when Matthew Stafford went down.

Bevell opened up a downfield attack that the Lions sorely needed. All the receivers benefited greatly, but we will get to that later. Even though the Lions went through more running backs than one team should have last year, Bevell was able to showcase their talents in different ways. The quarterback carousel didn’t help matters either, but Bevell was able to cater to Jeff Driskel and David Blough’s strengths.

Even though this offseason has been a weird one, expect Bevell to continue to create new ways to showcase the talent on offense.

John Matthew Stafford

Stafford is the heart and soul not only for the Lions but for the Detroit community as well. It is hard to find a more liked player, but somehow he is consistently underrated around the league. Unfortunately, it likely has a lot to do with the fact that he plays for the Lions. Thankfully, this doesn’t bother him one bit as the gunslinger continues to shred defenses. Between the tight window throws and the deeps bombs, it is hard to find a pass Stafford can’t make.

The Stafford Bevell was a match made in offensive heaven. Bevell’s heavily focused vertical attack and play-action approach played into Stafford’s strengths. Before an injury prematurely ended his season, Stafford was on the brink of an MVP season as he ranked top five in touchdowns, passing yards, and QB rating through the first eight games. Stafford has made it a career of making the players him better, and you can bet that trend will continue this season. Despite two straight seasons dealing with a back injury, it looks like Stafford is ready to go this season and continue his dominance.

Receiver continuity

Due to the COVID-19 situation and no preseason to work out any potential problems, having some continuity on the field will be a blessing. Fortunately for Detroit, they will be returning their top four receivers from last year: Golladay, Jones, Amendola, and Hall. The Golladay, Jones, and Amendola trio all recorded at 60 catches and 675 yards, the only team to accomplish that feat in the NFL last year. Considering they were able to do that with quarterback rotation, makes this is even more impressive.

Golladay went on to the lead the NFL in touchdowns with 11, Amendola was 11 receiving yards away of topping his career-high, Jones had the best catch percentage (68.1-percent) of his career, and cast-off Marvin Hall saw a career rejuvenation by posting a ridiculous 37.3 yards per reception.

Stafford already has chemistry with these receivers, and I wouldn’t put it past any of them to pick up from where they left off from last year. Marvin Jones showed his enthusiasm saying, “You look to the left, you look to the right and we have ballers. That’s something that’s very exciting”.

The Detroit Patriots

The Lions received a lot of grief with the way they approached free agency this year, almost exclusively targeting former Patriots. While some may say it lacks creative nature in the front office, I believe this was a smart move from general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia.

With the COVID situation putting everything in chaos, teams don’t have as much time to teach their scheme to new players creating a giant learning curve. By bringing in former Patriots, the team knows these players can execute the system in Detroit with minimal issues.

Danny Shelton, Jamie Collins, and Duron Harmon will all play a significant role in this defense. Shelton is a better fit at nose tackle in the Lions scheme than what they have had in the past. The Lions pulled an unexpected move and brought in Collins, who will look to line up all over the field and will likely bring a better pass-rushing presence than the departed Devon Kennard. Probably the most underrated move the Lions made this year was the trade for Harmon. It will free up Tracy Walker to do what he does best in the box as a JOKER safety, while Harmon takes care of the single high safety role.

With little time to learn this year, the Lions will benefit from these new additions already having an idea of what is expected for the Lions’ scheme and culture.

Revamped secondary

The one position group that has seen the most turnover heading into the season is the secondary.

There will new faces at every corner (no pun indented) and in the safety group. After trading away Darius Slay and Quandre Diggs, the Lions had to find a way to replace their production. From all accounts and purposes, that is exactly what they did this offseason acquiring three new starters in Desmond Trufant, Jeff Okudah, and Harmon. They will join starters Walker and Justin Coleman, and will look to create a formidable secondary that could potentially make offenses stall in their tracks.

Even though the COVID -19 situation may have hindered in creating chemistry, all of these players are highly intelligent and should be able to master this scheme. Harmon played with the Patriots last year and knows what is expected. Trufant has been a consistent playmaker with the Atlanta Falcons, and he will thrive in the Lions’ heavy man-cover scheme. Okudah was selected third overall in this past draft and will have a lot of eyes on him, but teammate Trufant has already been impressed with him saying “he has what it takes”. On paper, the Lions have the right players in place to create a secondary that could be feared around the NFL.

Without any preseason games to get the player’s feet under them, and only a handful of padded practices, it will be interesting to see what the Lions have this coming year. Many analysts are riding the Lions hype train heading into the season, and if the consistency on offense and new tools on defense find their stride, I don’t see a reason why the Lions couldn’t turn this make-or-break season into a successful one.

Darrell Bevell shares thoughts on rookie RBs and why they give the Lions a ‘really competitive room’

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell shares thoughts on the teams’ rookie running backs and why they give them a “really competitive room”.

The Detroit Lions want to establish the running game and have spent much of their offseason resources dedicated to improving in this area.

When offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell talked with the media via video conference call last week, he shared his thoughts on the teams’ rookie running backs and why they give the Lions a “really competitive room”.

The Lions have tried not to get caught up in starter labels this offseason — especially with no Spring camp to help set a depth chart — but naming a starting running back may be a moot point anyway, as the Lions appear determined to deploy a running back by committee in 2020.

Kerryon Johnson, the incumbent starter, saw seven starts in 2019 before injury, Bo Scarbrough got five, while Ty Johnson and Wes Hills each received one, and all of them return to the Lions.

But despite returning four players with starter snaps under their belt, the Lions still drafted De’Andre Swift with the 35th pick in the draft and he has drawn praise and excitement from several teammates and coaches.

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“So, De’Andre Swift — we’re super excited to have him,” Bevell said in the Zoom meeting. “We feel like he is a really talented, well-rounded running back. A guy that you can feel like can handle the run game, but as well as that, he has the ability in the pass game where you can do some things with him there. So, really just a complete guy.

“To be able to add him in there with Kerryon (Johnson), with Bo (Scarbrough), such a good group there and there’s still other guys, Ty (Johnson) is there, (Jason) Huntley’s there. It’s going to be just a really competitive room and that’s what you’re trying to do at each and every position is get the room as competitive as you can and let the cream rise to the top and you’ll end up with a really good team when you’re doing that.”

Swift wasn’t the only running back the Lions selected this past draft, and while Huntley left a big impression on the Lions coaching staff due to his special teams work, he has the potential to be really special on offense.

“The biggest attraction first was his return ability,” Bevell said, “and the things he can do in the special teams game, we were trying to add to that. But then obviously as a runner, he more like a scatback style, same thing (as Jamal Agnew), you’ve got to get the ball in his hands, a dynamic runner with the ball in his hands, so that’s what you’re looking to.”

While general manager Bob Quinn has noted that Huntley “is going to be in competition with Ty Johnson”, the stylistic comparison of Huntley to Agnew by Bevell is something that shouldn’t be glossed over.

Agnew is making a position switch to offense and has been sitting in wide receiver meetings, but there is also no doubting he has the skill set to also directly compete with Huntley and Ty Johnson.

Kerryon Johnson and De’Andre Swift look locked into starter 1A and 1B roles, and Scarbrough should reclaim his role as a sledgehammer, leaving the main question centered around how many more spots can they afford to allocate to the position.

In my Establishing the 53 series of articles, I had the Lions keeping both Huntley and Ty Johnson, as well as Agnew as a receiver/returner because like Bevell said, when it comes to dynamic players: “You want those guys to have the ball in their hands because they can make plays for you.”

Lions OC Darrell Bevell likes having linemen that ‘like to hurt the opponent’

Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell evoked a chorus of smiles during his Wednesday Zoom session with local reporters when he brought up the mentality of the new offensive linemen the team added this offseason.

In talking about draft picks Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg plus free agent addition Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Bevell praised their toughness and physicality. He did so with an enthusiasm that those of us on the call definitely noted.

“When you look at those guys, with Jonah and with Logan, those guys, I think they bring that mentality,” Bevell said. “It’s a lunch-pail, so to speak, type of group. Guys that they kind of like to hurt. They like to hurt the opponent as well.”

Stenberg comes to the Lions noted for his violent approach to line play. At Kentucky, he was the most-penalized player in the SEC and earned the rep as the conference’s dirtiest player. He’ll be prominent in the mix at right guard as a fourth-round rookie.

“It’s really a mentality. All you’ve got to do is turn Logan’s tape on and you can see that in him. And Jonah as well.”

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It’s all a concerted effort to be more physical and imposing at the line of scrimmage and in the run game. Detroit’s rushing offense perked up in 2019 but still has room for major improvement, and Bevell sees being nastier as the path to success.

Darrell Bevell confirms Jamal Agnew is now a WR for the Lions

Agnew has played CB while also serving as the team’s primary return specialist for the last three seasons

In his Zoom teleconference with reporters on Wednesday, Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell effectively confirmed that Jamal Agnew has moved from cornerback to wide receiver. It’s a move that has been widely speculated, and it actually began last season.

“I think you saw a little bit of that right at the end of last year, right, where we kind of brought him over and gave him a few opportunities on the offensive side of the ball. We really like his skill set,” Bevell said of the 25-year-old Agnew.

Agnew caught three passes and took four carries in limited action on offense over the final nine games of 2019.

At a listed 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, both of which seem quite generous in person, Agnew likely fits in the slot as a receiver. Similar to J.D. McKissic in 2019, Agnew has the ability to make things happen on jet sweeps and bubble screens. Like former Lion Theo Riddick, he can also potentially work out of the backfield as a motion receiver and matchup dictator.

“Right now we’re going to kind of lean that way,” Bevell said of Agnew’s move to receiver “Kind of let it go where it goes. I think he has a chance to help us.”

In all likelihood, it’s a moot point. Agnew will make the Lions, or not, based exclusively on his ability to return punts and kickoffs. The transition to full-time offense does get rid of the practice reps he took from other CBs. Agnew presents even more competition for filling the role that McKissic and Riddick filled in recent seasons, and he could also threaten Marvin Hall for the undersized vertical threat.

T.J. Hockenson is ‘running routes’ but not ‘100% yet’

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell updated the media on tight end T.J. Hockenson’s health and noted he is “running routes” but not “100% yet”.

It was an up and down rookie season for Detroit Lions 2019 1st round draft pick T.J. Hockenson, and while it started with a record-setting bang in week one, it ended with a gruesome ankle injury on Thanksgiving day.

Hockenson left Ford Field that day on crutches and was seen later on in the season relying on a scooter to get around, but over the last seven months, there have been no updates on his recovery until today when offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell virtually met with the media.

“As far as I know right now,” Bevell said, “he’s in his running part of the protocol. He’s on land, he’s running, he’s running routes, doing that thing. You can’t say he’s 100% yet, but I think he’s well on the way to getting there. He’s done a great job with his rehab, he’s always been a good worker that way. I know he’s going to get some time with Matthew (Stafford), throwing and catching. So yeah, I’m comfortable with where he’s at along the rehab part.”

Bevell would go on to say that Hockenson was “emerging as one of the leaders” on the team. Noting that he has the confidence to lead, a willingness to speak up, a desire “to be really good at his position”, and puts in the time to make it all possible.

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While Hockenson is developing into a potentially strong offensive option for the Lions, Bevell acknowledged that there is still work to be done and he needs to find ways “to get him (Hockenson) opportunities to get the ball”.

There are a lot of mouths to feed in Detroit as the Lions are returning their top-4 wide receivers, are converting Jamal Agnew to offense, added D’Andre Swift to a backfield that already featured Kerryon Johnson and Bo Scarbrough, but the Lions didn’t use a Top-10 draft pick on Hockenson for his blocking — he’s going to get the ball.

The Wisconsin connection for Detroit Lions OC Darrell Bevell played a part in taking WR Quintez Cephus

The former Badger QB used Wisconsin connections to gain some insight into the Badger wideout. Bevell’s Lions ended up drafting Cephus.

[lawrence-newsletter]When the GM of the Detroit Lions Bob Quinn talked through the decision to take Wisconsin WR Quintez Cephus in the fifth round of the NFL draft, he mentioned that a former Badger was instrumental in the process. Former Badger and current Detroit Lions OC Darrell Bevell played a key role in bringing in Wisconsin’s top receiver.

Once upon a time, Bevell played a starring role in a storybook season at Wisconsin. Bevell was the starting QB at Wisconsin from 1992-1996, and was crucial in then Head Coach Barry Alvarez turning the tide in Madison. The former Badger QB led Wisconsin to a Rose Bowl win in the 1993 season — the first Badger Rose Bowl appearance since 1963 — in which the Badgers defeated UCLA 21-16. During a coaching career that has lasted over two decades, Bevell began at the collegiate ranks before taking his first NFL job in Green Bay as the QB coach from 2000-2005. He then landed his first OC job with Minnesota in 2006, before moving on to serve the same role in Seattle and now in Detroit.

During Quinn’s online media availability following the final day of the NFL draft, the Lions GM raved about the talent that Cephus brings to Detroit. “Cephus is a really, really strong player, very physical, great catch radius, strong hands,” said Quinn.

The Lions GM went on to add that Bevell’s relationship at Wisconsin played a part in their interest with Cephus. “Coach Bevell has a strong relationship up at Wisconsin and one of his former teammates is one of the coaches up there,” said Quinn. “We really got a good recommendation on that player [Cephus] in the fifth round.”

The former teammate that Quinn could be referring to is Wisconsin offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph, who was the starting left guard on the 1993 Rose Bowl winning team that had Bevell at QB. According to the Lions GM, the relationship between the two proved important in Detroit’s prospect evaluation, and eventual selection, of Cephus. The saying ‘once a Badger, always a Badger’ certainly holds true in this case.

Barry Alvarez, Mel Tucker, and Darrell Bevell walked into a bar…

Lions coaches refuse to criticize Jesse James’ poor production

James has 8 receptions on 15 targets for just 64 yards in the Lions’ first 10 games after signing a 4-year, $28.5 million contract

The Detroit Lions signed free agent tight end Jesse James with considerable promise and widespread fan support this past offseason. James was arguably the top tight end on the market, and the Lions desperately needed help at the position; none of the wildly unproductive and underwhelming TE cast from 2018 was returning, and that was a good thing.

Thus far, the Lions are getting precious little return on their 4-year, $28.5 million contract. James has eight receptions on 15 targets, netting 64 yards in the Lions’ first 10 games. He has not shown to be more than an adequate blocker in the run game, either.

Despite the disappointing early results, the Lions coaches refuse to criticize James. Even though he has just one catch for three yards on three targets in the last four weeks, head coach Matt Patricia remains supportive of his tight end.

Patricia very diplomatically waffled away the question about why James has not been more involved.

“Well, you know, I think the tight end room in general – we have some good players in that room,” Patricia said Tuesday. “All of those guys really have certain roles in every game that we’ve needed them to (do) in different facets and jobs that they bring to us.”

The second-year coach was then asked a follow-up more directly about James and if the tight end is being used differently than they envisioned when the Lions signed him.

“I can’t say that, nope,” Patricia responded. “I can’t really say that that would be a factual statement. I think for us, guys in there that really have different skill sets and some skill sets that are not the same, and we try to make sure that we mix those in different ways. Certainly, that they don’t show up in tendencies for our opponents to be able to scout. So we try to keep that moving from that standpoint.”

Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell echoed the same comments. Bevell, in his first year in Detroit, was asked a very similar line of questioning in his Tuesday press conference.

“Well, I think we have a great tight end room,” Bevell stated. “We went and got him, we went and got Logan (Thomas), and then of course we drafted T.J. (Hockenson). I think really, it was one of the best upgraded rooms that we had this offseason, and I think all three of those guys, we’re using them and we’re moving them around. There are a lot of things that tight ends do that really don’t necessarily show up in the stat sheet. We love all three of those guys, we love what they’re doing.”

James does continue to start, sometimes ahead of Hockenson and sometimes with him in a two-TE set. His playing time has diminished since the bye week. James has not played more than 36 percent of the offensive snaps in the last five weeks, including a season-low 15 (23 percent) against the Cowboys.