Lions film study: What is killing the offense’s opening drives?

The Detroit Lions defense has been the focal point of criticism after surrendering 30 and 41 points, respectively, in their first two games against the New Orleans Saints and the Buffalo Bills. While, overall, the offense has performed well averaging 31 points per game, there is still plenty left to be desired on that side of the ball.

Head coach Dan Campbell was asked about the slow starts in both of the first games.

But there again, those things are, we can be so much better than we are right now," explained Dan Campbell. And we do. We need more out of our offense. They'll cover for a lot of things when we clean up some of our issues over there too, collectively."

It is not hard to rationalize how having an offense that starts strong can cover up some of issues the defense is working to correct. There would have been no better defense against Bills quarterback Josh Allen than having an offense that kept him off the field and dictating a game script for Allen to play from behind rather than comfortably with the whole playbook at his disposal.

But that's not what happened. And a huge factor being the Lions offense going three-and-out in its opening possession against the Saints and the Bills.

Let's go through each opening series.

In each of the videos linked I have provided the all-22 video of the three-and-out possessions and then will break down each.

New Orleans, Week 1

First-and-10

12 personnel. Unbalanced two tight ends left. Pre snap motion St Brown into the condensed left tight end side.

The Lions open the season with an identity call: a duo/man blocking scheme into the teeth of the defense for a gain of four. Nothing too special to see here, except remember this formation once the ball is snapped and compare it to the second down play against the Bills later on in this breakdown.

Second-and-6

11 personnel. Condensed set.

On a manageable second down, the Saints sit in a soft zone that Detroit takes what is given. St Brown runs an out at the sticks, but is stopped just a yard short after making the catch.

Third-and-1

13 personnel. I-formation.

This should be an automatic if the Lions want to establish themselves as the gritty, Super Bowl contending team the team has been over the past few seasons.

New Orleans runs a stunt inside that puts pressure on center Juice Scruggs, who was starting his first game in Detroit with the injury to Cade Mays. Shown below, the Saints stunt their 2-technique and 1-technique defensive tackles to the left (yellow), while filling in the play-side A gap with linebacker number 20 (orange).

When you watch the embedded video clip above, you can see how this stunt disrupts Scruggs and the blocking scheme when the 1-technique crosses the face of the center. Scruggs is late to the play-side A gap and does not reach the linebacker who makes the stop short of the first down.

Week 1. First series. Third-and-1. Three-and-out.

Unacceptable.

Buffalo, Week 2

First-and-10

11 personnel. Play action, tight end screen pass to LaPorta on the short side.

I think this is a good call to open the game. In the high-energy environment, this concept breaks two tendencies that would be considered the Lions bread and butter: run the ball and attack the middle of the field in the intermediate pass game.

Off the snap, it was a timely call with the Bills blitzing one of their field-side linebacker, who forces Gibbs to transition his run fake to pass protection rather quickly.

The one player away mistake here, from my perspective, is left guard Ben Bartch. After showing his pass block set and releasing for his screen landmark, he keys the linebacker in zone coverage. Bartch, however, takes an angle straight toward the linebacker where he currently is (red arrow), but should attack where he is going to be. (yellow arrow).

As a result, Bartch has to redirect late while not getting a clean block. LaPorta is forced to adjust back inside closer to the pursuit defenders.

Second-and-8

13 personnel. Unbalanced right, outside zone right.

Drew Petzing pulls out the in vogue three tight end personnel grouping, all to the right, field-side of the formation. Note that at the time the ball is snapped, this is the same formation as the first play against the Saints above, but in 13 personnel instead of 12 plus St Brown motioning into the condensed set. This is all part of making the same things look different, and different things looking the same.

Buffalo aligns unconventionally presnap, and stunts according to the diagram shown in the still image below. The 4i- technique crosses the face of right tackle Larry Borom while the 2i- technique crosses the face of the center in the other direction, creating a lane in the A-B gap for the linebackers to fill and scrap against the zone blocking scheme.

Borom's first step takes him toward the space the 4i is moving into. That gap is Borom's assignment and it should have been difficult for the Bills defender to cross his face.

The 4i player (#94, Landon Jackson) wins the rep. Buffalo could run whatever games it wanted to attack the A-B gaps with their stunts, if Borom does not let the 4i cross to the C-gap, then Gibbs would have been given an outside alley outflanking the aggressive defensive scheme. This could have been an explosive run that ultimately went for no gain on the play.

Third-and-8

11 personnel.

The Lions attempt to pass the ball with vertical routes out of a trips set to the field, with the slot wide receiver-3 running an out at the sticks.

In a clear passing situation, the Bills run a twist stunt pass rush, picking left guard Bartch with edge Bradley Chubb, freeing defensive tackle Deone Walker for the pressure and sack.

So what does Dan Campbell think the offense can do to start faster?

Yeah, it's a good question. And so much of - there is always this, man, how do you start the game? What do you really want to go in doing? What do you hang your hat on? What do you think you can get the most yards or put you in a manageable third or you're just living in first, second, first? And do you go in, do you try to run it a little bit more depending on the opponent over there where you're at? Do you come out and you throw it? And I think it's just finding that balance of what's the best way to open up the offense early, right?"

After studying the opening possessions, I think Drew Petzing has done a good job at finding that balance. He has mixed different looks, personnel groups, while also anticipating the defense's aggression or lack thereof.

Each week, however, its been one player who does not quite execute the details of their assignment, putting an end to the drive before it even gets started.

Moving forward, these issues cannot continue.

The offense is too talented.