Joe Whitt Jr. is quite aware the Lions’ offense is imposing.
Detroit’s offense commands Whitt’s focus for this week. They led all 32 teams in scoring this season (564 points) and averaged 33.2 points per game. Watching the Lions’ game film of their offense must leave Whitt with an ominous or overwhelming feeling.
When asked about it Wednesday at his weekly press conference, Whitt replied.
“They test your discipline,” he said. “I think [Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator] Ben [Johnson] does a really nice job of understanding coverages. He understands horizontal spacing as well as vertical spacing.”
Whitt is 100 percent accurate, as simply watching their highlights reveals how the Lions attack all areas of the field, forcing the defense to cover the entire field.
“He (Johnson) understands every player’s responsibility, and he’s going to test the discipline of those players and other coverage. And so, you have to be where you’re supposed to be and let your eyes be true. And if you don’t, he’s going to take advantage of it.”
The Lions are undoubtedly loaded. They are first in points scored and first downs made. They score on big plays and keep the chains moving. In ten games, they scored 30 or more points.
The @Lions
a trick play
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— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
Amon-Ra St. Brown collected 115 receptions this season for 1,263 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 73 first downs. Add to this speedy WR Jameson Williams (1,001 yards), TE Sam LaPorta (60 receptions), and WR Tim Patrick (33 receptions).
If that isn’t enough, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery added 52 and 36 receptions out of the backfield! QB Jared Goff is now a seasoned age-30 veteran leading all of this passing production.
Perhaps even more daunting is the Lions’ offensive line. They are huge, they protect well, and they attack well in the running game. Whitt is certainly more than merely impressed.
“They have different types of runs that they can run inside and lean you. They’ll go 30-plus runs on multiple games where they’re just going to lean on you, lean on you. And then they make you soft because as soon as you start overplaying that, here comes the leak play, here comes this play, here comes the screen.”