Tag: Kalif Raymond

Lions film review: Amon-Ra St. Brown was best offensive player vs Cowboys

Lions film review: Amon-Ra St. Brown was best offensive player vs Cowboys

Moving on from what happened at the end of the Cowboys and Lions game, it’s time to give kudos to a bunch of players for their performances in that game. When looking at the offensive film, one of the first players to standout was wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

To no surprise, St. Brown is the leading receiver for the Lions this season. Additionally, he’s having a career year with 112 receptions for 1,371 yards and nine touchdowns. Against the Cowboys, he had six receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown.

On Saturday, five of his receptions went for first down and so far this season, 70 of his receptions have gone for first down (tied for 3rd best in the NFL). Let’s jump into the tape and review why St. Brown was the best offensive player for the Lions against the Cowboys.

No matter the play, it felt like every single time St. Brown got the ball against the Cowboys, positive results happened. Looking at the play above, the Lions come out with a twins bunch formation to the left. With the tight end and another receiver to the right, I’d essentially label this as a 2 x 2 set with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end).

Once the ball is snapped, you can see St. Brown step back and turn to Jared Goff for the ball. Being that this play is a designed wide receiver screen, it’s an easy pitch-and-catch for the quarterback and receiver. One of the keys to focus on is left guard Jonah Jackson pulling on this play. With Jahmyr Gibbs and Jackson both going away from the ball, this pulls the inside linebackers away from pursuing towards St. Brown.

As you can see, the pass is completed and St. Brown gets a good block from Jameson Williams. Meanwhile, left tackle Taylor Decker gets out in space and blocks the safety that was over the top. With that, St. Brown is explosive and able to run after-the-catch for the first down.

As we’ve seen this year, St. Brown has carried the football a couple of times. However, his best carry of the season came against the Cowboys. When looking at the play above, you can see the Lions come out in their ’12’ personnel (one running back and two tight ends). With that, they have two receivers to the left of the formation. Jameson Williams is labeled as the ‘X’ receiver and in the slot is St. Brown.

Prior to the snap, Jared Goff puts St. Brown in motion and hands it off to him after the snap. On this play, the offensive line reach blocks to the left and it draws most of the defense in that direction. However, the key is from tight ends James Mitchell and Sam LaPorta.

Both of them go opposite of the offensive line. Despite slipping, Mitchell is able to seal off the defender playing on his outside shoulder and LaPorta is able to get out in space. This gives an opening for St. Brown and he takes full advantage with an 11-yard carry and first down.

Lastly, I want to focus on one of the final plays of the game for the Detroit Lions. This one is the touchdown that put the Lions in striking distance to either tie or win the game. Looking at the play above, you can see the Lions come out with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end) in a 2×2 set.

At the bottom of the screen, you can see St. Brown and Kalif Raymond bunched together. They run hi-lo concept and this particular one would be called Diagonal. In this instance, Raymond runs a corner route and St. Brown runs a diagonal route, also known as a bench or flat route.

As you can see, the defense works vertical with the Raymond on his corner route. This creates a throwing window and enough separation for St. Brown to do something after the catch. He does just that with his effort and ability to extend the football over the pylon for the touchdown. This was a great play design with even better execution from the Lions.

On his podcast, The St. Brown Bros Podcast with The 33rd Team, this drive was discussed. Amon-Ra had stated that before the drive, he got dabbed up by Dan Campbell and was told “we’re going to win this game.”

Regardless of the ending, the Lions final drive lasted 1:18 and they went 75 yards in 9 plays. During the drive, St. Brown was targeted 3 times with 2 receptions for 25 yards and a score. It’s been a joy to watch St. Brown throughout his career but especially this season. He’s had a career year and it’s been a big part to why the Lions won the NFC North and have a home playoff game. Look for him to dominate in the final weeks of the NFL as he’s “ready to run through a brick wall.”

Best and worst PFF grades for the Lions loss vs the Cowboys

The best and worst PFF graded players for the Detroit Lions in their loss against the Dallas Cowboys

Even after a night’s rest, the sting lingers from the Detroit Lions’ 20-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, a defeat that can only be described as tough in every sense of the word.

Considering the competitiveness between two playoff-caliber teams, there were pivotal moments in the game where execution could have been different for the Lions. Unfortunately, the conversation now revolves around the referee error that nullified the potential game-winning two-point conversion for the Lions. Overcoming such challenging situations is tough, but this resilient team is poised to move forward, gearing up to face the Minnesota Vikings next week.

While some Lions delivered masterful performances last night, others may hesitate to review the tape. Here are the best and worst PFF grades for the Lions against the Cowboys.

Kalif Raymond fined for block vs. Chargers

Lions WR Kalif Raymond fined for block vs. Chargers, while L.A. safety Derwin James earned a much bigger fine in the game

Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond has been levied a fine by the NFL for a questionable block against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Raymond was fined $15,138 for unnecessary roughness in the Week 10 win over the Chargers. It came on a David Montgomery run play midway through the third quarter and Raymond was not flagged on the play. Raymond charged in and threw a block that might have been too high, though it was hard to see from the game video.

On the Chargers side, safety Derwin James got hit with a $43,710 fine. James unnecessary roughness hit on Lions wideout Josh Reynolds on the third play of the second half earned the hefty fine.

The QB School breaks down Jared Goff’s huge game vs. the Chargers

O’Sullivan’s QB School is a great place to check out informed breakdowns of players, and this week’s focus is Jared Goff

One of the best sites to learn about quarterback play and just general football knowledge is with J.T. O’Sullivan of The QB School. On this page, O’Sullivan provides in-depth analysis and shares his football experience and knowledge.

During his football career, O’Sullivan played for 15 different organizations that spanned from NFL Europe to the Canadian Football League. This includes a stint with the Detroit Lions in 2007 where he played four games for the Lions.

In one of his most recent videos, O’Sullivan breaks down Jared Goff’s performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in week 10. Here’s a breakdown of some throws he analyzed in the video:

  • RPO Concept with a pass to Josh Reynolds
  • Goff hitting Amon-Ra St. Brown on a deep post
  • Play-action throw on an out route to St. Brown
  • And much more!

You can check out the video below and be sure to subscribe all of the content that the QB School provides. It’s some of the best content out there!

Lions special teams coach has ‘no problems’ with Kalif Raymond’s risky punt return decisions

Lions special teams coach Dave Fipp has “no problems” with Kalif Raymond’s risky punt return decisions from the win over Tampa Bay

During the Detroit Lions’ Week 6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receiver Kalif Raymond seemingly violated one of the well-worn edicts of football. He fielded not one but two Buccaneers punts inside his own 5-yard line.

Neither return went well for Raymond. The first attempt, leading into Detroit’s first offensive possession, ended at the Detroit 10-yard line. The second saw Raymond sneak out to the 15, avoiding two tackles on the way.

Fielding a punt inside the 10 is normally a football taboo. And the poor outcomes for Raymond in Tampa Bay demonstrate why it’s rarely done outside of emergency situations.

Yet Lions special teams coach Dave Fipp didn’t have a problem with Raymond’s decisions. “No problems with any of it,” Fipp said on Thursday.

In an entertaining but meandering press conference Q&A session that also discussed country music, fly fishing, military graduation ceremonies and dreaming of 1980s movies, Fipp did address a question about Raymond’s risky business in fielding punts inside the 10-yard line.

“There’s a risk to it, there’s a reward to it. You’re balancing out both those things,” Fipp said. “You obviously don’t want to put your team in a negative position. We do have a lot of confidence in (Raymond) Leaf back there. I think when you have a good player back there and a guy who’s confident in himself and believes he can make something happen, you don’t want to take that away from him too much either, so there’s a fine line. But I believe in everything he did back there. I’ve got no problems with any of it.”

Raymond is averaging 9.6 yards per punt return for this season after averaging 13.2 a year ago. He did have a long return of 15 yards against the Buccaneers.

[lawrence-related id=97568]

Dan Campbell hints at an unusual solution to the Lions RB depth issues

Head coach Dan Campbell laid out an interesting option for helping the Lions’ injury-ravaged RB room

The Detroit Lions running back situation is looking a little too similar to the Spinal Tap drummer role. Durability just isn’t in the script for the Lions RBs or the famous mockumentary where the drummers were lucky to make it through one gig.

Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers was the latest tour date where a Lions RB couldn’t finish the gig. David Montgomery left the game with a rib injury, one that could keep him out for a couple of weeks, according to head coach Dan Campbell.

The Lions were already without rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, who was inactive with a hamstring injury for the second straight game. Gibbs’ fill-in in Week 5, Zonovan Knight, was lost for the season with a shoulder injury suffered on his very first touch of that game against the Panthers. Detroit previously lost Mohamed Ibrahim and Jermar Jefferson to injuries during the preseason, too.

It sounds like Gibbs will be back for the Lions’ Week 7 trip to Baltimore, but the depth remains a question. While there are some free-agent options, Campbell hinted that the solution might already be on the roster. When asked about the depth around the two healthy backs, Craig Reynolds and Devine Ozigbo (promoted from the practice squad in Week 6), Campbell offered an alternate path,

“Yeah, and I think if not, we’ve got other guys that we can use on the roster at that position; probably in the receiver room is where that could come from. So, we’ll do what we need to do to make it through this if that’s the case and all we have is those two, but I trust those two to be able to handle what we need to handle.”

Using one of the wide receivers in a limited RB role isn’t a typical solution. In fact, it usually works the other way around–a depth RB will fill in for an injured WR in a pinch. The Lions did run one rep with wideout Kalif Raymond at RB, an inside run where the speedy Raymond gained three yards.

Raymond would be the most logical candidate from the receiver room to temporarily fill in at running back. His WR role has diminished with Jameson Williams returning to action. Raymond, all 160 pounds of him at the time, did see a few reps at RB during his college days at Holy Cross, and he’s proven to be a good runner as the Lions’ primary return specialist over the last three seasons.

If Campbell was digging deeper into the Lions practice squad, Maurice Alexander presents another option. Alexander was recruited to Florida International as an option quarterback. He didn’t switch to full-time wide receiver until his third season and even had a game in 2016 where he ran for 62 yards and a touchdown.

[lawrence-related id=97390]

Detroit Lions Film Review: The return of Jameson Williams

Breaking down how Lions WR Jameson Williams played in his Week 5 return from suspension

Two weeks ago, there was surprising news from the NFL that they were reinstating Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams. By now, we should all know that over the summer, Williams was suspended by the NFL for gambling at the Lions team facility in Allen Park.

For Williams, he got the opportunity to suit up against the Carolina Panthers for the first game of his second season in the NFL. Certainly, the expectations were high for Williams, as they always have been for him. After all, the Lions traded up in the 2022 NFL Draft to select him out of Alabama with the 12th overall pick.

Despite only having one career reception to his name after his rookie season, there’s still plenty of belief that Williams can be the player everyone had hoped for him to be. Let’s jump into the film room to see what we saw from Jameson Williams in his debut for the 2023 season!

Let’s just start with the drop and get it out of the way. No doubt about it, when you look at the play above, it’s discouraging. As it should be. Williams made comments going into the game against Carolina about how he had served his suspension by using a jugs machine at his house to catch footballs. When talking with reporters, he had stated that he was catching “about 100 balls a day.” All of that sounds good but it’s important for positive results to follow.

Looking at the play above, you’ll see Williams highlighted in the slot. As the Lions come out in a 2×2 set, you’ll notice Williams run a whip route back towards the middle of the field. With the two defenders in the same zone as Williams, you’ll see how they let him run free as both defenders have a miscue while trying to attack the swing route out of the backfield.

Instantly, Jared Goff realizes this and he sees Williams wide open. As he should, he delivers a pass right at Williams. Unfortunately, it looks like Williams mistimes the speed of the pass and it forces his hands to be slightly late in trying to secure the pass. This leads to the obvious drop, in which, many people believe he could have scored on the play. While that’s all possible, it also looks like Williams could have gotten rocked by the inside linebacker that was coming downhill with a purpose. Tough drop to see but unfortunately, it’s part of the game.

Moving onto the more positive plays from Jameson Williams, we go to his best play of the day. Focusing on the play above, the Lions come out with their 21 personnel (two running backs and one tight end) and are aligned in an I-formation.

Aligned in the slot (top of the screen), you’ll see Williams. Once the ball is snapped, he releases upfield towards the safety that comes down to the box. As David Montgomery tries to find an opening, he bounces the run to the outside and fortunately for him, Williams helps seal the perimeter and this leads to him having a clear shot at running up the sideline for the touchdown.

In addition to Williams making a good block, there was a nice pull from Graham Glasgow (RG 60) to kick-out an inside linebacker. Meanwhile, Marvin Jones (WR 0) also had a great block on the perimeter as well. All of this helped create that opening for Montgomery. As for Williams, these types of blocks will lead to opportunities for him. This will earn him opportunities on both passing and running downs for the Lions offense.

Moving onto the next play, this isn’t so much about a reception or drop but more so about a missed opportunity. Looking at the play above, the Lions come out in another 2 x 2 and this time it’s on 4th and 3 from the Panthers 37-yard line. Aligned in the slot (top of the screen), you’ll see Williams (WR 9) highlighted.

Once the ball is snapped, you’ll see Goff get a wall of blockers to his left and in fact, he gets a clean shot to step up and go through his progressions. With this, you can tell that Goff is trying to act quickly and not make a mistake on a costly down and distance. All of that is understandable.

However, it’s a mistake made by Goff because as he quickly reads the field, he doesn’t take enough time looking to the middle of the field. If he did, I think we can all agree that he would have noticed Jameson Williams becoming wide open on the deep crosser.

Instead, Goff checks it down to the running back and it leads to a 4th down stop for the Panthers defense. The good news from this play is that the explosiveness and speed ran in Williams’ routes were evident on the play above. Eventually, this will hit and it would lead to more positives for the Lions offense.

Lastly, I want to focus on the lone reception that led to positive yardage for Williams. Earlier in the game, he had caught a designed screen that went for negative two yards. However, as we look at the play above, you’ll see that the Lions use pre-snap motion with Sam LaPorta (TE 87) to get aligned into a trips right formation.

Once the ball is snapped, you’ll see Goff deliver the ball to Williams on a designed screen. Not a play that moves the needle for most people but it’s worth noting that you can see some of the explosiveness that he has. Fortunately, the play above is a gain of four yards and it led to Williams having an official stat line of two receptions for two yards.

While that’s not a stat line to drool over, it’s a positive sign to see Williams trending towards having some type of role in the offense. Whether it be designed screens or deep crossers, it seems likely that he’ll get the ball more as the season progresses.

With injuries to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs, the return of Jameson Williams is needed for this Lions offense. Many fans will focus on the negatives from Williams whenever he steps onto the field but try not to dwell on those mistakes. It’s a long season and if the fans want this to work, we need him to work. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next on the schedule for the Lions, I’m expecting more snaps for the talented receiver and I think it’s a potential breakout game for him.

For the Lions 60 offensive snaps, Williams was on the field for 28 of those snaps. That number was the same as fellow wide receiver Josh Reynolds. No question, Reynolds had a much better stat line but the number of snaps for Williams in his season debut is a promising sign.

Detroit Lions Film Review: Diverse offense keeps Panthers guessing

The Detroit Lions kept the Carolina Panthers guessing with a diverse offensive attack in Week 5

When the Detroit Lions walked away victorious from their week 5 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, it sure felt different. To be honest, it’s hard to put it into words. Was it redemption? Was it domination?

It sure felt like both.

In convincing fashion for consecutive weeks, the Lions earned another win after beating the Panthers by a score of 42-24. This win got them to a 4-1 record and with how the offense is clicking, it’s hard to imagine them slowing down any time soon.

Certainly, there will be a speed bump or two along the way but this Detroit Lions offense is legit. Dating back to last season, the Lions have produced points in the first and fourth quarters in 14 consecutive games. They’ve got an 11-3 record during that span. That’s the longest streak of games to produce points in both of those quarters in NFL history.

There’s no question that we can applaud offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for the job he’s done in Detroit. However, the players on the offense still need to come out and execute. Whether the Lions are playing with or without some of their best playmakers such as Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jahmyr Gibbs, they’re not missing a beat. No question, there needs to be kudos given to quarterback Jared Goff, who has had a career resurgence since his arrival to Detroit.

No matter the opponent, it feels like watching the Lions offense is appointment TV. It felt that way against the Carolina Panthers in week 5, and it’ll be the same feeling in week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Let’s jump into the tape to see why the Lions offense is diverse and why they’re one of the best units in football right now!

One of the first things that jump out when watching the Detroit Lions offense is the amount of times they send a player in motion. Whether it’s Sam LaPorta moving around the formation or Jahmyr Gibbs on an exit motion to the sidelines, they like to move players around.

So far this season, the Lions have used motion 53% of the time. That has them ranked 8th in the NFL for motion percentage, per SIS. In addition to that, they’re under center for 48% of their plays. That’s most in the NFL, per SIS.

Looking at the play above, you’ll see the Lions not only use motion, but they’ll also have Jared Goff under center. Aligned in 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end), the Lions will put Kalif Raymond (WR 11) in motion to the right of the formation.

As Raymond sprints across, the ball is snapped and Goff fakes a hand-off to the running back while turning his eyes downfield. While Goff reads the field, Raymond is sprinting vertically down the field and at about 10 – 12 yards, he breaks to the middle of the field on a dig route. With Raymond open, Goff fires the pass to him and then Raymond makes a defender miss in the open field to gain a few additional yardage. The first offensive play of the game for Detroit was a big gain and it immediately set the tone for the offense the rest of the game.

Moving to the next play, we see the Lions aligned in 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end) again. However, they come out in an empty set out of shotgun rather than under center. Spread out wide to the left of the formation is David Montgomery (RB 5).

Prior to the snap, Montgomery uses a “fast” motion that sends him towards the quarterback before retreating back to the sideline. This type of motion has been used for players such as Gibbs and Raymond but that doesn’t mean it’s restricted to only those players.

After the ball is snapped, Montgomery has three lead blockers in front of him and it allows him to catch the designed screen freely. Once he secures the ball, he sprints behind his lead blockers and picks up the first down.

Potentially the play of the game for Detroit was this reverse flea-flicker for a touchdown. Looking at the play above, the Lions come out in 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end) with Jared Goff under center.

Prior to the snap, he motions Kalif Raymond (WR 11) in, and it creates a twins bunch formation to the right (top of the screen). After the ball is snapped, Goff tosses the ball to David Montgomery (RB 5) in the backfield and this leads to Montgomery tossing the ball to Raymond on what appears to be a wide receiver reverse.

However, Raymond tosses the ball back to Goff and in the process, Sam LaPorta (TE 87) releases vertically upfield on a wheel route. By the time the ball is tossed around and back into the hands of Jared Goff, the rookie tight end is wide open. This leads to an easy completion and touchdown for the Detroit Lions.

According to reports, this play was added to the playbook by Ben Johnson during his time spent with Lions quarterback David Blough. Apparently, this play was run by Blough during his college football career at Purdue.

Taking a break for a second with the clips, I wanted to take a snapshot of the Lions formations during one of their red zone possessions. Looking at the picture above, the Lions have a trips bunch formation to the left (top of the screen). On this condensed set, you’ll see Sam LaPorta (TE 87) essentially aligned as a wingback.

In addition to that, you’ll see a single wide receiver aligned out wide (bottom of the screen). This is important because when you see a wide receiver out wide, you instantly think of pass. However, the Lions are different from the norm.

On the play above, it actually turns out to be a variation of a split-zone run to David Montgomery (RB 5). This second and goal play ended up being a gain of four yards, but it’s important to note the formation and how it’s aligned because of the next play.

Looking at the very next play, the Lions come out aligned in almost an identical formation. To the left of the quarterback is the condensed set with the tight end aligned off the line-of-scrimmage (LOS). However, to the right of the formation, there’s no longer a wide receiver split out wide.

Instead, the Lions go from 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end) in the picture to 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends) in the video above. While it’s 3rd and goal from the 4-yard line, it does feel like a potential run play and potentially four-down territory for this Lions offense.

The offense had made their quick substitution of wide receiver for a tight end and they aligned quickly. Quarterback Jared Goff had urgency to get everyone set, so the defense couldn’t adjust. Once the ball is snapped, he fakes to David Montgomery, and this forces the Panthers defense to slow down a bit and properly take their read steps. In the process, this allows Sam LaPorta (TE 87) to spill out into the flats where he’s wide open for another touchdown.

As you watch this Lions offense, you’ll notice their commitment to the run game. Rightfully so, they run the ball better than just about anybody. By doing this, it helps the offense have so much success in developing a strong play-action passing attack.

The diverse play-calling leads to a variety of pre-snap motion and interchangeable personnel groups. Meanwhile, it leads to success on almost every single possession for the Lions. With how this Lions offense is built, they’ve become one of the most stable offenses and overall teams in the NFL right now.

[lawrence-related id=97035]

Jared Goff pancakes Packers EDGE Kingsley Enagbare with a killer block

Jared Goff gave Packers edge-rusher Kingsley Enagbare quite the block on Kalif Raymond’s 40-yard end-around run.

In the first quarter of the Detroit Lions-Green Bay Packers Thursday Night Football game, the Lions outgained the Packers 199-1. and put up a 14-3 lead.

But that was not the most prominent embarrassment for the Packers. That came with 39 seconds left in that first quarter, when Jared Goff handed the ball to running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who then handed the ball to receiver Kalif Raymond, who trucked 40 yards up the right side of the field.

The centerpiece of the play was how Goff moved up to block edge-rusher Kingsley Enagbare, giving it his all when most quarterbacks make relative business decisions when “blocking.” This isn’t a true pancake (more like a ju-jitsu throw), but in a relative sense, it’s quite impressive. Enagbare reversed field to keep up with the play, and that’s when he discovered the HAMMER.

The Packers are out of sorts on both sides of the ball, and the Lions can seemingly do no wrong after Goff’s early interception.

The Xs and Os: Detroit’s precision, motion could cause problems for Green Bay’s defense

The Lions have a precise passing game with motion that could upend the Packers on Thursday night. Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar break it down.

The Detroit Lions under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson don’t use pre-snap motion a ton in the passing game, but when they do, it’s generally effective and explosive. Through the first three games of the 2023 NFL season, per Sports Info Solutions, quarterback Jared Goff has 45 dropbacks with pre-snap motion, which ranks 24th in the league. But with motion, he’s completed 31 of 41 passes for 357 yards, 231 yards, three touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 115.6 — fourth-best in the league.

One reason that the Lions are so good with motion is the precision of their receiver splits and concepts. Johnson sets Goff up to hit open reads with different motion ideas, including the speed motion that has taken the NFL by storm… especially in Miami.

This 22-yard pass to receiver Kalif Raymond against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 had Raymond running across the formation pre-snap to get a full head of steam, and that put him ahead of cornerback DeAundre Alford in Atlanta’s Cover-3. Goff could turn his back with play-action and then hit his back foot to throw with confidence.

The good news for the Green Bay Packers, who the Lions face on Thursday night, is that their middle-of-the-pack defense is actually quite good when dealing with motion in the passing game. Joe Barry’s defense had allowed 26 catches on 37 attempts for 228 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 72.8, which is the NFL’s sixth-lowest.

This Rasul Douglas interception against the Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Desmond Ridder in Week 2 was a somewhat similar concept, with running back Bijan Robinson running that fast motion across. However, Robinson didn’t exploit the deep coverage against Cover-3 the way Raymond did for the Lions, and Ridder decided to throw over the middle, with far less than the desired effect.

There’s motion to indicate, and motion to disrupt. This appeared to be neither. The Lions will provide a tougher test for the Packers because of that offensive precision than the Falcons or Chicago Bears have.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys got deeper into that idea.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/lLhF2YoB6a832FGHGTiq/1695862469266_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0ibnJnZ3FycnNsZnh1ZW50YmhhenRlcnNoamJkdmkybHIiIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMyNSI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

“When you watch their offense, you just get a really strong sense that it all works together so efficiently, and very rhythmically,” Greg said. “It comes down to, how do you disrupt timing? There are different ways to do that, but you’re trying to disrupt timing.”

Option 1 for any defense to disrupt receiver timing is to press those receivers, but motion obviously complicates that equation.

“I spoke to a defensive coach this week who said that it’s possible to jam motions, but it takes a lot of work, and it’s very hard,” Greg continued. “The whole thing with dealing with receivers because the ball comes out quickly is that it’s tough deal when you deal with motion. It’s harder to jam receivers on the move, particularly when they’re motioning across the formation.”

Which the Lions can do very well.

You can watch this week’s full “Xs and Os” video with all the key matchups for Week 4 right here:

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/Vz8Y2ooBLH5_irLuHG2Y/1695877388798_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0ia3o1ZHF3anNuNXh1ZXRjaWd2cHdzNHNtb3ZlZW9tc3oiIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMyNSI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.