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I put in a few myself. Screw the sauceF#*K OHIO!!!
You're not only an amazingly beautiful man, but you're the greatest football mind to ever exist. <-- Jeffy Shittypants actually posted this. I knew he was in love with me. -
329146180_867835640966955_5779111345726732105_n.jpgOriginally posted by -Deborah- View Post#birdsarentrealComment
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Something from yesterday, that I just missed as I was going to work:
Detroit Lions finalize 2023 coaching staff: Brian Duker to coach defensive backs
Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Lions showed significant improvement in their secondary after a midseason coaching change last year, and the man who took over as the primary defensive backs coach is being rewarded.
The Lions announced the previously reported hire of Scottie Montgomery as running backs coach Wednesday and shuffled the roles of several other assistants on staff.
Brian Duker, who coached safeties last season and worked in an elevated capacity after the midseason firing of Aubrey Pleasant, will coach defensive backs in 2023.
Duker spent three seasons as a defensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens in 2018-20 and joined the Lions as a defensive assistant in 2021. He worked as an intern with the Cleveland Browns in 2015, when Lions defensive coordiantor Aaron Glenn was the team's assistant secondary coach.
The Lions had the worst defense in the NFL during their 1-6 start last season, but held six of their final 10 opponents below 20 points. They had 10 interceptions in their final 10 games after recording just two in September and October combined.
Along with Duker's promotion, the Lions consolidated Tanner Engstrand's duties as passing game coordinator, after he both coordinated the passing game and coached tight ends last season; they previously hired Steve Heiden as tight ends coach.
The Lions also promoted Steve Oliver to assistant offensive line coach, J.T. Barrett to assistant quarterbacks coach and Shaun Dion Hamilton to assistant linebackers coach.
Oliver was an offensive quality control assistant last season, Barrett was an offensive assistant and Hamilton was the team's minority coaching intern after joining the staff following his training camp release as a player.
Dre Thompson, who spent last season as a coaching fellow with the Denver Broncos and coached cornerbacks for the University of Buffalo in 2021, joins the Lions as a minority intern/defensive quality control assistant.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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These writers and their QB fetish. Unless there's someone available at 6 or 18 that Brad Holmes likes, he won't draft a quarterback.
Detroit Lions mailbag: Should they extend QB Jared Goff's contract this offseason
Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press
It’s been a month since the Detroit Lions played their last football game, winning at Lambeau Field to keep the Green Bay Packers out of the playoffs and start what could be a changing of the guard in the NFC North.
Aaron Rodgers is headed for a four-day darkness retreat to evaluate his future, and when he emerges, he and the Packers may see the light of parting ways.
The Packers have been the team to beat in the division for most of the past three decades, in part because they’ve employed two straight Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Rodgers and Brett Favre. Maybe Jordan Love makes it three straight and the Packers’ run of excellence continues, but my feeling right now — and I suspect the feeling of a lot of people in and around the league — is that the Lions will enter 2023 as the favorite to win the division.
With that in mind, this promises to be an intriguing offseason for a Lions team that has two first-round draft picks, $16 million in available cap space (with more to come once veteran cuts and restructures start rolling in next week) and big decisions to make on several key players on its roster.
That’s where we start this week’s mailbag.
Q. Is an extension for Goff on the table this off-season? If so, how much? — @EvanSchnaitman
A. I get more questions about Jared Goff and the Lions quarterback situation than anything whenever I do a mailbag, and this week is no exception. Goff had a nice second season in Detroit. He threw for 4,438 yards and 29 touchdowns with seven interceptions, was a big reason the Lions won nine games, and I thought was a deserving addition to the Pro Bowl last week.
Goff will be the Lions quarterback in 2023 and if I was a betting man I’d guess beyond, but the answer to Evan’s question isn’t that simple. First, yes, I do think Goff’s representatives will inquire about an extension this offseason. There were rumblings they were interested in one last spring, and it’s their job to strike while the iron is hot.
If I was Lions, though, I would not be in any hurry to do an extension — definitely not before the draft and probably not until next year. Goff is not in the same class of quarterback as players like Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, who should sign record-setting deals this offseason. The Bengals and Chargers should be racing to re-sign Burrow and Herbert, respectively, to keep costs down. And while Goff’s price tag could go up by waiting, there’s still some risk in anchoring yourself to him as a quarterback.
If the Lions don’t draft a quarterback early, they might consider an extension for Goff this summer, knowing they won’t — or shouldn’t, at least — have another top-10 pick for a while. Looking at recent quarterback deals, Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford got $40 million per season, Derek Carr got slightly more than that, and Kyler Murray’s five-year, $230 million extension averages about $46 million a season. With two years left on his contract, that could put a Goff extension this summer in the four-year, $175 million range.
Goff, who’ll make about $26 million this year (including a roster bonus next month), averaged $33.5 million on his last contract, so he’s in line for a raise. I get why teams tend to pay their own quarterbacks. There’s a lot of fear of the unknown in the NFL, especially when job security is involved. From my chair, though, the only quarterbacks I’d anchor myself to longterm are ones in the Burrow, Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen class.
Q. Is it completely obtuse to expect a QB at 6? You wrote about it back when the lions were 1-6 do the lions really think Goff can be the long term guy after the abysmal games last year? — @99Karl_
A. This is the other part of the pay Goff debate. At No. 6, the Lions have the chance to get a young quarterback who would cost significantly less than Goff and allow them to build competitively in other areas of the team.
I do not expect the Lions to draft a quarterback at six (or 18), but if Brad Holmes and his scouting department decide Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud or Will Levis or Anthony Richardson has star potential, that’s the player they should take. The Packers drafted Rodgers when they had Favre and were coming off a 10-win, division championship season. The Chiefs traded up to take Mahomes when they had Alex Smith and were coming off a 12-win, AFC West-winning season. The San Francisco 49ers were a year removed from the Super Bowl when they traded up to get Trey Lance.
The Lions believe in Goff, and the way the NFC is constructed, they can have lots of success with him at quarterback. Having a star at the position seems more necessary in the AFC than the NFC right now.
I don’t see myself mocking a quarterback to the Lions at six this spring, but the Lions are in a position to rely wholly on their evaluations of the draft-eligible quarterbacks and not feel compelled to draft one to fill a need, and that’s a good spot to be in.
Q. If one of the top 3 QB’s is there at 6 what is the furthest you would trade back if another team comes calling? — @philbywestland
A. Last quarterback question, I promise.
If one of the top three quarterbacks (Young, Stroud or Levis) is available at six, that almost certainly means Jalen Carter and Will Anderson are not. I have no idea how the Lions’ draft board will shake out, but my early read on the draft is there will be a clump of defensive linemen and cornerbacks in the next tier of players who could interest the Lions, which gives them some leeway with how far down they go.
The Panthers at No. 9 seem like one trade-up candidate for a quarterback, and if Carter and Anderson are gone, the prospect available at six won’t be all that different from the one available at nine. Same goes for Tennessee at No. 11. Washington at No. 16 is the next logical quarterback-needy team. I’d need a 2024 first-round pick to go down that far, but for the right price I’d be willing to do it.
Again, it’s way too early to know what pool of prospects will be available in the middle of Round 1, but if the Lions got two of, say, Bijon Robinson, Myles Murphy, Devon Witherspoon and Joey Porter, plus a future first-round pick, that’d be a pretty good draft haul.
Q. You are usually pretty solid with your mock drafts, especially with the top 1st round picks. How soon before the draft do you usually start to really see the top of the draft coming together? — @Scosto6
A. Flattery will get your question answered every time in the mailbag.
In all seriousness, I don’t do any mock drafts until combine time, and I don’t really start working on them until the week before I leave for Indianapolis. My M.O. the last few years has been to do one every two weeks starting with the combine, which gives me a chance to do five or six before the draft and to make small tweaks leading up to draft week.
I don’t get too deep into prospect evaluations during the season as there’s usually a lot going on with the team I cover, though I’m certainly aware of the top players, the top in-state prospects and see others in my casual Saturday game watching. I tend to trust what I hear between the Senior Bowl and the combine the most when it comes to prospects, as I think the closer you get to the draft the more subterfuge is out there. Players can rise and fall (mostly because we in the media are late catching onto some players), but NFL teams have their first set of draft meetings late in the regular season and the BLESTO scouting service just had its underclass evaluation meetings, so most of the heavy lifting already is done.
One other point on mock drafts: There are only so many “blue” players, the truly elite prospects in the draft, and I think most teams are hesitant to jump a “blue” for a lesser prospect, no matter the position. Quarterbacks can gum up the works a little. There will be a wide range of opinion on a guy like Levis this draft season. But if we know Young, Stroud, Anderson and Carter are the top prospects in this year’s draft, there’s a pretty good chance all four will go in the first four or five picks. It’s the next group of players where there’s a wider range of opinion among NFL teams.
Q. Who are the 3 starting players on the D that we can upgrade to make this a top 15 unit? One at each level? — @SweetLo27628792
A. I’ll treat this as sort of a “dream scenario” question, because while the Lions have some room to be spenders in free agency, Holmes has made it clear he won’t wade too heavily into the market.
Up front, I’d take Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne over Philadelphia Eagles tackle Javon Hargrave based on age (Payne is 25; Hargrave 30). The Lions are a good interior rusher away from having a top-half-of-the-NFL defense, and Payne and Hargrave are the two best on the market. Neither will be cheap, but if the Lions want an impact signing one of those players is the way to go.
In the secondary, as much as I like Bengals safety Jessie Bates, I’d have to take one of the top cornerbacks available, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Jamel Dean or the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Cameron Sutton. Dean is bigger, younger and his man-to-man coverage ability would pair nicely with Jerry Jacobs in Aaron Glenn’s defense, but Sutton had a nice year with 15 passes defenses and three interceptions.
At linebacker, the popular choice probably would be the Bucs’ Lavonte David, but I’d prefer to spend my free agent dollars on mid-20-somethings, so I’d target the Tennessee Titans' David Long. Long is one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL and is an ascending player coming off his best season. He’d be an every down player in Detroit.
If the Lions landed all three of those players, that would go a long way towards fixing their defense. But there’s next to no chance of that happening.
Q. It seems increasingly likely Detroit could lose both their offensive and defensive coordinators by next offseason. Are there coaches on the staff now you see as likely/potential successors to Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn? — @andrewkeck
A. Andrew is right. If the Lions have any sort of success next season, they could end up losing both Johnson and Glenn to head coaching jobs elsewhere. Johnson interviewed for three jobs this offseason, with the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans, and Glenn had two interviews (with Indy and the Arizona Cardinals).
The Lions have a handful of in-house candidates for their coordinator jobs should Johnson and Glenn move on. On defense, Todd Wash seems like the next in line. Wash was defensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars for five seasons and has done a good job with the Lions’ front. If not Wash, linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard is on the coordinator track.
On offense, pass game coordinator Tanner Engstrand seems next in line given his role on offense. Engstrand is a former quarterback and ex-tight ends coach, and both those jobs are prime springboards to being a coordinator. I do think both Lions’ jobs will be desirable enough, though, to attract top outside candidates, and Dan Campbell should cast a wide net if and when he needs to find replacements for those jobs.
Q. Will we draft a Kicker or continue to take our chances with undrafted rookies and retreads? — @TeachingZeus
A. Michael Badgley made 20 of 24 field goals to stabilize the kicking position after his midseason arrival, but that’s probably not enough for him to be entrenched in the job in 2023. The Lions did not sign a kicker to a future’s deal immediately after the season and it seems likely they will at least consider the position in this year’s draft.
Last year, the Cleveland Browns took the draft’s only kicker, Cade York, in the fourth round, but historically the first kickers have come off the board around Round 5. That’s where the first kicker went in 2017-21, including some of the NFL’s best kickers like Daniel Carlson and Jake Elliott.
The Lions don’t currently have a fourth-round pick, so they’ll have to hope for that trend to continue if they want a player like Maryland’s Chad Ryland or Michigan’s Jake Moody this year. They do have a fifth-round pick and two sixes, so they should have ample opportunity to take one if they want to go that route.
Q. Coming out to Detroit opening day again this year, gonna go across the water into Canada for a day trip, any must see’s or try’s over there? — @503LionsFan
A. I like to end the mailbag with something non-football related, but it’s been a minute since I’ve visited my friends across the border so I’m a little light on suggestions. There’s a casino there, if that’s your thing, and there’s a few bars and breweries downtown. If you have any suggestions I can pass on to a Lions fan, send them my way. And don’t forget your passport or you’ll be sent home.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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This is a 4-part post, so please don't respond until I have all 4 parts posted.
NFL Honors 2023: Our staff makes its picks for MVP, DPOY, Rookies of the Year and more
The Athletic NFL Staff
Feb 9, 2023
Super Bowl LVII between the Chiefs and Eagles is nearly upon us, a fitting end to an NFL season that has seen the cream rise to the top.
Whether it was Patrick Mahomes leading his team to the title game on a bum ankle, Geno Smith having a breakout season at 32 or first-year coaches Brian Daboll and Doug Pederson lifting their teams to the playoffs, the league again delivered with historic performances, dramatic comebacks and shocking surprises.
Throughout the season, we’ve challenged our NFL writers and editors to pick their Most Valuable Player. This time, we’re expanding our reach. We’ve asked our staffers to make their picks — from among the actual finalists — for each of the major awards to be handed out at the 12th annual NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 9.
Here are their selections:
Most Valuable Player
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
— After losing the league’s top vertical threat in Tyreek Hill, Kansas City responded by scoring more points than any other offense in football, secured another top seed in the AFC and earned a third trip to the Super Bowl in five seasons. The reason: Patrick Mahomes played the best football of his life. No player is more important to his team. — Zak Keefer, Colts beat writer
— The best player on the planet takes another step toward cementing his status as an all-time great. Eye test, standard stats, advanced metrics. Mahomes was incredible this season. — Nate Tice, NFL Draft writer
— What Patrick Mahomes did in terms of evolving his style and lifting the rest of the offense after losing Tyreek Hill might be the greatest accomplishment of his career, and that’s saying something. — Paul Dehner Jr., Bengals beat writer
— He’s the Michael Jordan of the NFL, continually the best player as well as the most exciting. The playoff performance doesn’t count when it comes to awards, but the way he fought through his high ankle sprain showed why we are so lucky to get to witness his career. — Jimmy Durkin, senior NFL editor
— Mahomes is the best player at the league’s most important position and led the league in passing yards and touchdowns. Don’t overthink this one. — Chad Graff, Patriots beat writer
— He has become his generation’s Joe Montana: Who would you rather have with the ball in his hands during the final seconds of a close, intense game? — Matt Barrows, 49ers beat writer
— The term “franchise quarterback” is frequently misapplied to many who start or garner huge paychecks. Not with Mahomes. He makes everyone better and carried the offense after losing Tyreek Hill and despite not having a consistent RB threat. — Ben Standig, Commanders beat writer
— It’s everything. The numbers. The wins. The unbelievable plays that only he can make. He’s in a tier all by himself. — Adam Jahns, Bears beat writer
2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
— Hurts improved dramatically this year and led his team to the NFC’s No. 1 seed and a Super Bowl berth. Without him for two games, the Eagles lost both. If that’s not the definition of “most valuable,” I don’t know what is. — Kalyn Kahler, senior NFL writer
— The Eagles are 16-1 in games in which he’s played this season, and his team is in the Super Bowl. It’s as simple as that. — Josiah Turner, senior NFL editor
— He never had a bad game, and if a defense tried to take away one element of his game, he just beat them with another. — Dave Niinemets, senior NFL editor
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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Offensive Player of the Year
1. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
— Jefferson led the league in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809). He is the most impactful non-QB in the NFL. Of his 132 touches, 84 went for first downs. — Daniel Popper, Chargers beat writer
— Jefferson’s ability to always come through, particularly in critical moments during his team’s remarkable run of 11 consecutive one-score wins, probably deserves more credit in Minnesota’s NFC North-winning season. — Dehner
— For all the talk about the Vikings being “frauds” and not being as good as their record, plenty of teams would trade rosters with them in an instant. And the biggest reason? Justin Jefferson. — Kevin Fishbain, Bears beat writer
— Jefferson can’t be covered by a single defensive back. And just when you think you’ve seen his most ridiculous catch, he makes another one. Jefferson is the rare receiver who alone is worth the price of admission. — Joe Person, Panthers beat writer
— There’s a saying in the NBA: “(So and so) is a bucket.” Meaning, they’re going to score, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Justin Jefferson is a catch. Could go for 20; could go for 80. But he’s gonna catch it, and there’s nothing you can do about it. — David Aldridge, senior columnist
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
— I don’t understand how a player can be the clear MVP of the league but not the Offensive Player of the Year. It shouldn’t preclude him. It should make him the favorite. — Mark Kaboly, Steelers beat writer
— It’s not just the 5,000-yard season or 41 touchdowns. It’s the fact he’s able to make indefensible throws on third-and-long all the time — and nobody can do anything about it. — Nick Baumgardner, senior NFL Draft writer
— Sure, he has Travis Kelce, but it’s Mahomes who makes everything work for the Chiefs and leads one of the league’s most explosive and innovative offenses. — Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer
— I’m not a fan of altering names for similar awards just to spread the wealth. Nobody means more to his offense than Mahomes does. He’s in great company here, but he’s the choice. — Zac Jackson, Browns beat writer
— There is not a weakness in his game. If Mahomes can stay healthy, he has the ability to be the greatest player to ever play the game. — Jon Machota, Cowboys beat writer
3. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
— Hill was so singular in how he affected the geometry of the Dolphins offense. He finished second in the league in catches (119) and yards (1,710) and opened up lots of space for the rest of Miami’s skill players. — Josh Kendall, Falcons beat writer
— I don’t know if there’s a non-quarterback who puts more fear into the hearts of defenses than Hill. The amount of attention his game-breaking speed commands is unmatched. — Jim Ayello, senior NFL editor
— Hill helped new coach Mike McDaniel turn around Miami’s offense overnight, showing he was more than simply a product of the Chiefs’ high-octane system. — Nick Kosmider, Broncos beat reporter
4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
— Hurts, who was my No. 2 choice for MVP, tied for second in the league in rushing touchdowns (13) and ranked second among quarterbacks in total scores — with the fourth-lowest interception rate. That means Hurts can kill you on the ground and through the air — and doesn’t put his team at risk in the process. Incredible season. — Jourdan Rodrigue, Rams beat writer
— This seems like a consolation prize, but the value Hurts added as an improved passer and Philly’s best short-yardage rushing threat gives him an edge over Hill and Jefferson. The Eagles’ O-line is the offense’s engine, but Hurts is the thread that ties it all together. — Diante Lee, NFL Draft writer
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
— The best player on the best defense in football, Bosa’s not limited in the way some elite pass rushers are — he can do more. He’s terrific against the run, as well. He can, simply put, do everything. He had 18 1/2 sacks this season and 19 tackles for loss. — Keefer
— Bosa’s blend of power, quickness and handwork destroys the rhythm of the backfield and affects how offenses operate. — Dane Brugler, senior NFL Draft writer
— It’s one thing to lead the league in sacks. It’s another to have 13 more quarterback hits than any player in football. Bosa averaged nearly four quarterback hits per game. That’s absurd. And he did it for the best defense in football. — Fishbain
— He’s a wrecking machine, the key fulcrum to the 49ers’ great defense. Bosa just never stays blocked, which means your quarterback and your running game are always in peril. Leading the league in sacks, despite getting double-teamed on almost every play? Terminator. — Aldridge
2. Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
— Jones finished with 15 1/2 sacks, just three behind Bosa, and did so with an inferior supporting cast. Jones is the engine of a defense that relies on him to wreak havoc up front to succeed. It’s hard to imagine where the Chiefs would be without him. — Ayello
— It’s one thing to put up the kind of stats Jones did while rushing from the edge, but doing it from the interior is a different story. He attracts maximum attention from the offensive line and still produces game-altering plays, all while playing over 80, sometimes 90, percent of his team’s snaps. — Joe Buscaglia, Bills beat writer
— Can I change my answer based on the AFC Championship Game alone? What Jones did to the battered Bengals offensive line will go down as one of the great playoff performances by a defensive lineman ever. It wasn’t just two critical sacks. It was also 10 pressures, five quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, two holding calls drawn and one intentional grounding forced. The Chiefs don’t win without him, and it’s probably not close. This as an exclamation point to a season where he led all interior defenders in sacks and pressures? Yeah, I’m flipping from Bosa to Jones. — Dehner
— He was this season’s Aaron Donald, dominating games from the interior and making everyone around him more effective. And if teams focused on him inside, he’d just move to the edge and wreak havoc from there. — Niinemets
3. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
— Trying to separate Parsons and Bosa is like trying to pry apart steel. Very tough. Parsons, however, does more (somehow) in more areas of the field. — Baumgardner
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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Offensive Rookie of the Year
1. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
— Wilson led all rookies in receptions (83), receiving yards (1,103) and first downs (53). Among all WRs with at least 120 targets, his two drops were the fewest among them. — Ayello
— Wilson finds himself around household names like DK Metcalf and Deebo Samuel in yards per route run. Considering the QBs that were throwing him the ball this season, that’s one of the more impressive things we’ve seen this year. — Austin Mock, NFL staff writer
— It is refreshing when the best wide receiver in the draft is also the best wide receiver in the rookie class. — Brugler
— Can you imagine what Wilson’s season would’ve looked like if he had consistent quarterback play? Wilson’s production amid shaky circumstances speaks to his talent level and potential for stardom in New York. Don’t be surprised if he’s a Pro Bowler next season. — James Boyd, Colts beat writer
— As terrific as Purdy was, I have a hard time picking a guy who didn’t start until Week 14. Wilson had a fantastic season. Purdy had a great few weeks. — Jay Morrison, Bengals beat writer
2. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
— The 49ers looked like they were done when they lost their top two quarterbacks and had to turn to Mr. Irrelevant. Not so. Purdy was confident and didn’t try to do too much after taking over in early December. If he didn’t get hurt against the Eagles, the 49ers might have been in the Super Bowl. — Person
— Purdy was second only to Patrick Mahomes in offensive EPA per play (0.19), and he was 8-1 in nine professional starts after being thrown into the mix midseason. — Kendall
— It’s not crazy to think he could be the QB of the future in San Francisco, and for that, Mr. Irrelevant deserves this honor. — Kahler
3. Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
— The Seahawks were one of the most surprising teams of 2022, and Walker’s 1,050 rushing yards and nine touchdowns played a big role. — Fishbain
— I think he is going to be a top-five RB for a long time, and he burst out on the scene despite an average offensive line and a question mark at QB. — Vic Tafur, Raiders beat writer
Defensive Rookie of the Year
1. Sauce Gardner, New York Jets
— Hutchinson and Woolen were good enough to win the award in most seasons, but Gardner put together one of the best rookie campaigns in history. Not only did he lead the league by PFF’s coverage grade, he led the league in passes defended. He wasn’t just the best defensive rookie this year, he was one of the best defensive players in the NFL. — Mock
— Gardner didn’t have as many interceptions as Woolen, but he led the NFL in pass deflections and shut down every receiver (and tight end) he lined up against, including Ja’Marr Chase, Mark Andrews, Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs and others. He was voted All-Pro for a reason. — Zack Rosenblatt, Jets beat writer
— Gardner isn’t simply the best defensive rookie in football, he’s one of the best players in football. The Jets have found their next Darrelle Revis. — Keefer
— Gardner was the first rookie cornerback to be a first-team All-Pro in 41 years. That’s remarkable. Even if you didn’t watch a single snap of his, that fact alone should make this an obvious choice. — Morrison
— Cornerback is a hard position to play as a rookie, and he stepped in and was a shutdown corner on day one. — Ted Nguyen, NFL staff writer
— The accolades he has received this season aren’t just part of the New York hype machine. Gardner is really that good. — Tice
2. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
— The first rookie in NFL history to have at least 7 1/2 sacks and three picks in a season, Hutchinson lived up to the pressure of being the No. 2 pick with a promising debut and just edges Gardner. — Joe Rexrode, Nashville columnist
— It’s not a huge surprise that Hutchinson got to the QB, but the fact that he had three interceptions as well shows what an all-around weapon he is. He was relentless and showed why he should have been the top overall pick. — Niinemets
— He’s a monster. Just look at Aaron Rodgers’ face when Hutchinson picked him off in the end zone in Week 9. Like, “What the hell is that guy doing there?” Dude was everywhere for the Lions and lived up to his high draft status. — Aldridge
3. Tariq Woolen, Seattle Seahawks
— A fifth-round pick, Woolen had six interceptions, which tied for the most in the NFL. He also had 16 passes defensed and three fumble recoveries. — Fishbain
— On a per-snap basis, no defensive back was more impactful than Woolen, who led the league in interceptions. Quarterbacks hardly threw his way, and when they did, their passer rating suffered. — Michael-Shawn Dugar, Seahawks beat writer
Comeback Player of the Year
1. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
— They wrote him off. He ain’t write back, though. — Colton Pouncy, Lions beat writer
— Before this season, Smith had made five starts over the past six years. His career as a starter was effectively over. And then it wasn’t. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, led the NFC in touchdown passes (30) and helped lift the Seahawks back into the playoffs. Smith’s emergence at age 32 was one of the best stories of the season. — Ayello
— We have to count what you’re coming back from, right? How about coming back from the quarterback graveyard? Zombie Geno Smith pulled off the impossible in a league that kills off QBs and relegates them to obscurity without remorse. — Dehner
— Smith’s story is one of perseverance, self-belief and overcoming adversity — you know, the stuff this league loves. — Dugar
2. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
— McCaffrey did for the 49ers in 2022 what Deebo Samuel did for them a year earlier: serve as both a top runner and receiver and fuel their playoff run. The team lost exactly one game that McCaffrey started — the final one to the Eagles — and he scored at least one touchdown in nine straight games. — Barrows
— McCaffrey’s knock was that he’s injury-prone, but that certainly wasn’t the case this season. Once he joined the Niners, they were nearly unstoppable. He was good for a TD almost every week and was just under 1,900 total yards. Just a brilliant season. — Niinemets
3. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
— Barkley didn’t miss a game because of injury for the first time since his rookie year and set career highs in carries and rushing yards. His resurgence was a big part of the Giants’ revival. — Mike Sansone, senior NFL editor
— Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka deserve a ton of credit for molding a Giants offense that was functional despite limited talent. But Barkley was the engine that made all that possible. He is back on the mantle as one of the elite backs in football. — Popper
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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Coach of the Year
1. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
— No coach did more with less than Daboll. The 2022 season was supposed to be a rebuild, with the Giants widely considered to have one of the worst rosters in the NFL. Despite the talent deficiency the team faced almost every week, Daboll and his outstanding coaching staff led it to nine wins and a road victory in the playoffs. — Ayello
— I’m still not sure how Daboll got this team to the playoffs. That alone deserves this award. — Larry Holder, NFL staff writer
— Considering that Daniel Jones suddenly looked like a quality NFL starting quarterback, while Josh Allen took a bit of a step back in Buffalo, it’s easy to see the impact Daboll has on the sport’s most important position. Beyond that, he seems to have the unaffected demeanor to flourish as a CEO in New York. — Rexrode
— I’m not sure I recall the last time a team’s winning season was so directly tied to a new head coach. — Standig
— In a pass-heavy league, the Giants went to the playoffs — and won a game — with Daniel Jones at quarterback and Darius Slayton, Richie James and Isaiah Hodgins at receiver. Coach of the Year? Daboll deserves Hall of Fame consideration for that feat. — Barrows
— Under the glare of New York’s klieg lights, Daboll rebuilt a culture on the fly after several others couldn’t do it with the benefit of years. — Tim Graham, senior writer
2. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
— No one remade a franchise in such little time. Pederson’s steady hand helped turn Trevor Lawrence into a star, and the Jaguars into a playoff team. — Keefer
— I have to give this to Pederson in light of the absolute dumpster fire he inherited in the wake of Urban Meyer’s self-inflicted dying star. Pederson got his high-potential quarterback on track and gave him development and direction. He also maximized a roster many scoffed at in the offseason. This team now has hope, stability and belief. — Rodrigue
— Daboll’s midseason dip after his team’s hot start isn’t as impressive as the continued build Pederson had after taking over a team that was a train wreck in 2021. Add in the 27-point comeback in the playoffs, and he’s an easy pick. — Morrison
— Simple: The coach who takes a team from the worst record in the NFL to winning its division and a playoff game in his first season should be the automatic winner. — Matt Schneidman, Packers beat writer
3. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
— With all due respect to the remarkable smoke-and-mirrors show Daboll pulled off this year, Shanahan going on a 12-game win streak with a backup (Jimmy Garoppolo) and third-string quarterback (Purdy) is one of the great achievements in recent league history. His mastery over play calling, not to mention his ability to create quarterback efficiency out of thin air, is unparalleled, and no season proved it more than this one. — Dehner
— The league’s best offensive schemer kept his offense humming — and even improved it — despite multiple QB injuries. How many others could manage that? — David DeChant, senior NFL editor
— Let’s not make this too complicated. In a league where franchises sacrifice decades at a time looking for the “right” quarterback, the 49ers went to the NFC Championship Game with their third quarterback, a rookie who was taken with the final pick of the draft. — Kendall
Assistant Coach of the Year
1. DeMeco Ryans, San Francisco 49ers
— This award is all about identity and development to me, and when I watched Drake Jackson, Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw and Charvarius Ward playing far above expectations this season, Ryans was the clear choice. Not to mention how his work with Fred Warner has brought him to all-time levels of play at the linebacker position. Ryans took his role as head coach of his defense and made it the most feared and respected unit in the NFL. — Lee
— Ryans had the 49ers playing like one of the best defenses we’ve seen in recent years. Yes, he had a lot of talent to work with, but he maximized every bit of it to keep this group in contention with elite and fearless coaching. — Rodrigue
— It’s no wonder teams were fighting it out to hire Ryans as their head coach. Kyle Shanahan’s offense gets more attention, but Ryans produced consistent dominance on the other side of the ball despite a number of injuries. — Rexrode
— Ryans only enhanced his reputation as a gifted defensive coach — as well as a leader of men. It will be fascinating to see what he can do in Houston. — Person
2. Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions
— The Lions went under the radar as maybe the most dangerous offense in the league, especially down the stretch. Johnson got the best out of Jared Goff, utilized Jamaal Williams perfectly and made Detroit a nightmare matchup for most defenses. — Niinemets
— I know this is a 2022 award, but you can’t ignore 2021. Ryans and Steichen had head starts. What Johnson did with the Lions’ offense this year was as unexpected as it was impressive, going from 29th in DVOA to fifth. — Morrison
— We like to say it’s about the Jimmys and Joes, not the X’s and O’s, but Johnson’s impact on the Lions was an argument against that theory. His game planning and play calling brought out things in Goff we haven’t seen before. — Dan Pompei, senior NFL writer
— The Lions deserve something for their very entertaining season. — Tafur
3. Shane Steichen, Philadelphia Eagles
— The Eagles offense can hurt an opponent any way it pleases. Hurts has grown as a passer. The ground game can gouge even the best defenses. The offensive line can handle anything asked of it. Steichen helped make that happen. — Holder
— Perhaps the most impressive part of the Eagles offense was its balance. Philadelphia finished the regular season with a top-five rusher, a top-five receiver and a quarterback who threw for 3,700 yards and scored 13 touchdowns with his legs. — Barrows
— Yes, the Eagles have arguably the most loaded roster in the league, but that shouldn’t take away from the job Steichen has done. He helped Hurts take a massive jump from questionable second-round pick to second-team All-Pro. With Steichen’s help, Hurts and the Eagles are on the brink of raising their second Super Bowl trophy in five years. — Boyd
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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Trickalicious - I don't think it is fair that the division rivals get to play the Lions twice. The Lions NEVER get to play the Lions, let alone twice.Comment
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I feel like I am watching the destruction of our democracy while my neighbors and friends cheer it onComment
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Levi O, McNeil and PaschalOriginally posted by Futureshock View PostF#*K OHIO!!!
You're not only an amazingly beautiful man, but you're the greatest football mind to ever exist. <-- Jeffy Shittypants actually posted this. I knew he was in love with me.Comment
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Detroit Lions mailbag: Revisiting the mock draft, plus trade and free-agency options
Justin Rogers
The Detroit News
With the Super Bowl on deck for this weekend, and free agency a little more than a month away, we had a window to churn out a Detroit Lions mailbag. So, let's see what's on your mind.
▶ Question: In your mock draft you just wrote, you mocked Bijan Robinson to Detroit at 18. If Bijan is already gone, what position do you feel the Lions might or should target there, considering their needs at defensive line, linebacker, secondary and even right guard? — @andrewkeck
▶ Answer: As I noted in the introduction to said mock draft, we shouldn't take the projection all that seriously. It's still so early in the process, Robinson could easily be off the board, as you said, or the Lions might have a far lesser need at the running back position because of how they handled Jamaal Williams in free agency.
There are a number of factors we just don't know, which prohibit us from making an informed prediction, including what needs the Lions address in free agency, who the team selected with their earlier selection (No. 6) and the 17 players who will already be off the board.
At this moment in time, all the positions you mentioned make sense. The Lions have a sizeable need for an interior lineman, and someone like Clemson's Bryan Breese could make sense, assuming he lingers to the middle of the first round. And cornerback is obviously in play, especially if the Lions don't address that spot at No. 6.
At this stage, I'm less keen on picking a linebacker that early. It's just not a top-heavy talent pool, and if general manager Brad Holmes is truly concerned about his own depth at that position, he can do some shopping for reinforcements on the draft's second day.
As for guard, it's shaping up to be an obvious need for Detroit. I really like O'Cyrus Torrence, out of Florida. It might be a touch early for the position, but if he ends up checking all the boxes through the pre-draft process, it's a justifiable way to use the asset.
▶ Q: Percentage chance the Lions make the Super Bowl in the next five years? NFC Championship? — @MichaelAbrams
▶ A: Just as with the previous questions, there are so many unknown variables to reasonably predict something like this. At the top of the list are injuries. As we learned when Matthew Stafford was here, a key injury can tank a season in a hurry. Then, there's the massive roster churn in the NFL. In five years, 80% or more of the current roster is likely to be gone. And, if Detroit is able to sustain any level of success, they're probably looking at a new offensive coordinator in the next two years.
What we can say is the Lions look to be on the right track, and they're in a conference with far less elite-level quarterbacking talent to stand in their way. While I'm not ready to tell you all the stars will align for a Super Bowl run in the near future — let's maybe start with winning a division title for the first time in 30 years — they're building a nice foundation with a strong culture that suggests some level of playoff success in the very near future.
▶ Q: I remember at the time of the Jeff Okudah pick, a lot of opinions were that cornerbacks selected in the first round were ill-advised. Any truth to that, especially with such a deep cornerback class? — @TomKeat54743969
▶ A: I think your memory isn't quite reflective of the analysis from that time. It's not that cornerbacks are a bad idea in the first; it's that the position doesn't typically offer a good investment in the earliest portions of that round. Remember, at the time, Okudah was the first corner taken in the first three picks since 1997, and only a dozen had been snagged with a top-five choice across a three-decade period.
Of course, some from that group turned out to be studs, such as Charles Woodson and Jalen Ramsey. Others have busted, including Bryant Westbrook, whom the Lions selected fifth in '97.
The way things are shaping up this year, I don't think it would be a poor decision to draft a corner, even as early as No. 6. Sure, the depth of the class can alter perceived urgency, but that shouldn't prevent you from taking the top player on your board, regardless of position, especially if there's a need.
Between Devon Witherspoon, Christian Gonzalez, Joey Porter Jr., Cam Smith, Kelee Ringo and Clark Phillips III, the Lions should be thrilled to add a first-round corner if that's where their evaluation process leads them.
▶ Q: The Lions appear to be happy with Jared Goff, but will they draft an understudy at QB? — @MrPostmaster
▶ A: The short answer is yes, it would be a good decision to draft a young, cost-controlled backup who can be developed as an injury replacement, trade chip, or even as a potential long-term starter. With that last component, it doesn't necessarily need to be the focus, but you leave the door for it to happen organically, a la Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia. He was selected No. 53 overall in 2020, less than a year after Carson Wentz signed a massive extension. Now, Hurts is playing at an MVP-caliber level and leading the Eagles into the Super Bowl.
To be clear, I don't love the idea of using the No. 6 pick to answer that question. The Lions are on the verge of competing, and a quarterback who assuredly won't start in 2023, and maybe not in 2024, all while taking the place of a potential instant-impact piece, isn't congruent with the goal of taking the next step forward as a franchise.
But, anywhere else in the draft, including No. 18, sure. You could convince me that it's worth rolling the dice on Anthony Richardson at that spot, if he lingers on the board that long. As far as Day 2, Hendon Hooker or Jaren Hall both intrigue, because of their dual-threat abilities.
▶ Q: Would you like to see the Lions trade for Maxx Crosby and what would it take? — @ODog___
▶ A: The genesis of this question comes from a mic'd up segment at the Pro Bowl, where Crosby was chatting with Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell, relaying within that conversion he grew up a Lions fan. It was an interesting comment, since Crosby actually grew up in a Dallas suburb, but the fandom could have been sparked when he was playing for Eastern Michigan.
Still, it doesn't mean much of anything. Most kids grew up rooting for a different team than the one they play for, but it doesn't mean they pine for suiting up for those franchises. Crosby's relationship with the Raiders has always seemed good, at least from the outside looking in, and that was reflected in the massive four-year, $94 million extension they paid him last March.
Pursuing a trade for a player that would likely require multiple first-round picks to acquire doesn't mesh with Holmes' rebuild approach of loading up the roster with young, cheap talent through the draft. Obviously, his mentors with the Los Angeles Rams never shied away from pulling the trade trigger on a big name, but the Lions are in a different place in their journey. As amazing as Crosby has been, it's just not a realistic option.
▶ Q: Which positions do you think the Lions are better off upgrading via the draft, and which position with more experienced players via free agency? — @IgorPetrinovic
▶ A: Generally speaking, almost all of them. It's the economical approach to long-term success, given draft picks are under team control for four years and cost far less than their free-agent equivalents. Where it's good to have veterans in place are on-field leadership positions, such as safety, middle linebacker and quarterback. Extending that further, it's good to have an experienced veteran in every position group, just to set a tone and lead by example.
The Lions have key veterans at so many critical spots that there isn't a pressing need heading into free agency. The one question mark is middle linebacker, and given who is expected to be available, there's a reason we like the idea of brining back Alex Anzalone, potentially even on a multi-year deal.
▶ Q: What's your all-time favorite Super Bowl moment? — @daveholz
▶ A: The first Super Bowl I watched was an awful one, at least for everyone not rooting for the San Francisco 49ers. They smashed the Denver Broncos in XXIV, 55-10. If that was my first, it means I missed more than two decades of the big game, so it seems best to limit my favorite moment to something I watched live.
Not that there are any shortages of options, including David Tyree's helmet catch, Santonio Holmes' incredible touchdown, Malcolm Butler's game-ending interception and the Philly special.
But, I'm particularly fond of John Elway's first win. Maybe it was some built-in sympathy from that 55-10 drubbing several years earlier, but the "Helicopter Run" on third down in the red zone to set up a third-quarter score is such an iconic visual.
▶ Q: How high do you think the Lions can take an offensive tackle to sit behind Sewell and Taylor Decker? — @wellwerewaiting
▶ A: It's not something I would call a priority. While nothing is guaranteed, those are two tough, durable players. And while it would be ideal to have a quality backup at every spot, it's probably better to invest the asset it would cost to get a starting-caliber offensive tackle for the bench into a piece that has a better chance of contributing on Sundays.
Taking a Day 3 flier on a prospect with developable traits, who position coach Hank Fraley can groom to be an upgrade over Dan Skipper or Matt Nelson wouldn't be the worst idea, but otherwise, there's no urgency.
▶ Q: Your favorite dish you’ve made this offseason? — @_olsen10
▶ A: Cooking is definitely a hobby I'm able to explore in the offseason, working from home. So far, in the first month, my favorite was probably the lasagna, with both the noodles and sauce made from scratch. Not only did it turn out well, but there was a nostalgia element involved, since I have fond childhood memories of my mom tackling the same dish from scratch.
▶ Q: Has the media heard any new uniform updates? — @w1llsp
▶ A: We're not kept in the loop on such things, but we generally ask about them during the rare chances we get to talk to team president Rod Wood. There might be an opportunity for that during the league meetings in late March.
Here's what I do know: new uniforms are coming, but a full overhaul isn't in the plans for this offseason.
▶ Q: Why is Jerry Jacobs not considered a CB2 and left out of most starting defensive backfield scenarios? — @KellyMurdock
▶ A: I'm not sure where you're reading this, but I think Jacobs still has a place in the starting lineup, even if the Lions draft a cornerback early. Yes, his physical playing style can lead to some penalty issues, but you're talking about a guy who came off an ACL rehab and held opposing quarterbacks to a 55.0 completion percentage when targeted in coverage.
That's a good number and doesn't even account for the emotional energy Jacobs provides the defense. And, while I'm generally in favor of always exploring upgrades at every spot, there's zero reason to force something at this spot.
▶ Q: Is this the year Holmes and Co. swing for the fences on a free agent? — @billybeans3
How probable is at least one big FA signing on defense such as James Bradberry or a similar upgrade at CB. Or LB? — @JoshDalley72
▶ A: If we're basing predictions off Holmes' approach during his first two years on the job, I wouldn't expect a home-run swing. Clearly, a player like Bradberry or Washington defensive tackle Daron Payne would provide a big boost to Detroit's defense, but spending on big-ticket players hasn't been this GM's MO.
I'd expect that the Lions will stick to the plan of retaining their own free agents, building through the draft, and plugging lingering roster holes mostly with shorter, prove-it deals. Maybe that script eventually changes as the team gets closer to championship-level contention, but this feels to be at least one offseason early for that kind of talk.
▶ Q: Do we pick up Jeff Okudah’s fifth-year option? — @DirtyJerzFinest
With Okudah being benched toward the end of season, is it possible he is not with the Lions for the 2023 season? — @OldSchoolSport7
▶ A: At this point, I don't expect the Lions to pick up Okudah's fifth-year option, which is approximately a $12 million guaranteed salary for 2024. He might end up being worth every penny of that if he makes steady improvements his second year removed from an Achilles tendon tear, but it's a lot of money to commit now to a dice roll, and the team could always explore using the transition tag, giving them first right of refusal in free agency, if he does experience that production jump in 2023.
As of right now, I have no reason to believe Okudah won't be on the team next year. Sure, there's always the possibility of a trade, but I'm not sure anyone else is in a rush to take on his $10.7 million cap figure, unless the Lions agree to eat the $4.2 million roster bonus he's due. The important fact here is the $10.7 million is fully guaranteed, so there's no benefit to cutting him.
continued...
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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▶ Q: Am I crazy for thinking Darnell Washington is destined to be a Lion? — @rdwiley
▶ A: You're not crazy for wanting the Lions to add a big, physical tight end with film that screams high-end blocking ability and enough athleticism to contribute in the pass game. But, without moving around the draft board, they might not have a shot at the Georgia standout. There's a good chance he comes off the board between picks No. 18 and No. 49.
▶ Q: You have covered the team under a few different regimes in your time on the beat — in your estimation from being around them, does this one truly feel different, especially in a better way? — @EricSalonen
▶ A: Culturally, there's a pretty significant overlap between what is currently being built and what Jim Caldwell had going on during his tenure in Detroit. That's because both coaches treat players with respect and take a genuine interest in them as people. That fosters an environment where you want to play for your leaders.
The biggest difference between this regime and that one is the relationship between the front office and coaching staff is stronger, with a concerted effort toward always being on the same page. Ownership deserves plenty of credit for putting the pieces in place to foster that kind of environment.
Additionally, Caldwell's squads were veteran-heavy and largely maxed out on their potential. Dan Campbell and Holmes have a young roster and everything and everyone is growing together. The ceiling for this roster, including the upcoming draft assets, is as high, if not higher, than the 2014 Lions (the most talented team I've covered), while having potential for far greater staying power.
▶ Q: With the regular season expansion to 17 games, have there been any rumblings of expanding team rosters? — Paul, via email
▶ A: The NFL kind of patched around that by significantly expanding the size of practice squads and allowing teams to temporarily elevate two players from that unit each week. I haven't heard any other recent talk of roster expansion.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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How Jared Goff turned his Lions season around and cemented his role as QB1
By Colton Pouncy
In some ways, the Jared Goff narrative has changed. In others, it hasn’t. His reputation among national media is likely still tied to how things ended in Los Angeles. He was the QB who was given up on. The Rams shipped him off to the then-helpless Lions, gave the keys to Matthew Stafford and watched him do what Goff couldn’t — win a Super Bowl.
Narratives can be tough to shed. But Goff and the offensive minds leading the Lions are doing their best to write a new one in Detroit.
In his second season in Detroit, after the offense changed to fit his strengths and more weapons were added, Goff made the Pro Bowl. He ranked top 10 in a number of statistical categories. He quarterbacked the Lions to a top-five offense and their first winning record in five seasons, falling just short of a playoff berth. As the Lions took a step forward in their rebuild, Goff proved, once again, he can be a quarterback with whom a team can win.
Let’s take a look at Goff’s 2022 season, where he excelled and how the Lions got him back on track. All stats are via TruMedia.
Goff was arguably the best play-action QB in the league
One of the more obvious findings from our deep dive was just how effective Goff was on play-action attempts this season.
The Lions ran play action with Goff just 22 percent of the time in 2021, 26th among qualified QBs. His Expected Points Added — an efficiency stat often used to measure quarterback success — on play-action pass attempts checked in at a modest 0.10, good for 23rd among qualified quarterbacks. Nothing particularly impressive there. But instead of getting away from play action, the Lions opted for more of it. And it worked beautifully.
In his first year with Ben Johnson as offensive coordinator, Goff’s play-action rate rose from 22 to 27 percent — 17th among QBs. But his EPA on play-action attempts? Best in the NFL at 0.33. For reference, the guy second on the list just played for a Super Bowl. That would be Patrick Mahomes.
The takeaway: No quarterback was more efficient on play-action throws than Goff in 2022. What changed? Better weapons certainly helped. The threat of a running game, thanks to a healthier offensive line, also made a difference. Another thing that helped? Johnson devised an offense that’s difficult to read. The Lions can trot out traditional run looks and end up passing, or vice versa. His sequencing as a play-caller has a tendency to keep defenses guessing. Goff took advantage.
How Goff’s targets were distributed
In 2021, Goff targeted running backs in the passing game 23.5 percent of the time — the third-highest rate in the NFL. Lions tight ends, led by T.J. Hockenson, were targeted 21.4 percent of the time, which ranked 14th in the NFL. In 2022, Goff targeted RBs 20.3 percent of the time, falling from third to 12th. He targeted TEs 15.8 percent of the time — going from 14th to 29th in the NFL. But how much can we draw from those numbers?
It’s worth noting that D’Andre Swift’s injury-plagued season and the Hockenson trade likely played a role in this shift. While Goff’s attempts to RBs fell overall from 2021 to 2022, take a look at how they shifted midseason. In the first half, Goff threw to RBs 16.9 percent of the time (21st among QBs). That rose to 22.8 in the second half, which was the second-highest percentage of pass attempts to RBs during that stretch.
Additionally, Goff threw to tight ends 20.1 percent of the time (15th among QBs) when Hockenson was in town. But after the trade, that fell to just 12.7 percent (28th during that span). Lions tight ends weren’t active in the passing game, but they were efficient. The position caught nine touchdowns from Weeks 9-18, as opposed to just three in the first eight weeks.
As for the receivers, Goff targeted them at the 11th-highest rate in the NFL this season, checking in at 59.3 percent. That’s a drastic increase from his 2021 rate of 50.4 percent (28th).
The takeaway: Swift is worth getting the ball to in the passing game when he’s healthy. That wasn’t the case for much of the year, but we started to see more targets to Lions RBs in the second half. The big change came after Hockenson was traded. At times, it almost felt like the Lions needed to actively work to get Hockenson involved, simply because of his first-round draft status. Once he was off to Minnesota, tight ends were mostly used as screen targets, red-zone weapons and blockers. They’ve received solid production out of an inexpensive room.
When Goff first arrived, his receiver room was one of the worst in football. A full year of Amon-Ra St. Brown, along with DJ Chark and Josh Reynolds, had the position in much better shape, which is why Goff targeted them more in 2022. We’ll see more of Jameson Williams in 2023.
Goff’s success against the blitz
Goff is one of the better quarterbacks when facing a blitz. Even in 2021, Goff’s EPA when facing five or more pass rushers was 0.14, good for 14th overall.
In 2022, Goff was blitzed at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL, 33.5 percent. That’s way up from last year’s 22.4 percent. How did he fare? Turns out, pretty well.
Only three quarterbacks — Mahomes, Tua Tagovailoa and Jimmy Garoppolo — were more efficient than Goff against the blitz in 2022. He ranked fourth in EPA per dropback when facing five or more rushers.
The takeaway: First things first, credit the Lions’ offensive line. Goff’s sack rate was just 3.8 percent in 2022 — the second-lowest in the NFL. Goff faced pressure on just 3.7 percent of his dropbacks, the third-fewest of any QB.
The Lions also made it a point of emphasis to get the ball out of his hands earlier, which is one way to beat a blitz. Only 34 of Goff’s 587 pass attempts came after the four-second mark of a play, which was below the NFL average of 39.3. When Goff got rid of the ball within three seconds of the snap, his 0.25 EPA per dropback ranked third among all QBs. When he had four or more seconds to throw, which could be viewed as a QB’s ability to create, his EPA per dropback was the fifth-worst among QBs. For reference, Josh Allen, Mahomes, Derek Carr, Joe Burrow and Justin Fields cracked the top five. Goff was near the bottom. Only Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz and Zach Wilson were worse.
All that to say, Goff can be a very good quarterback when he’s operating in rhythm and in structure, getting the ball out quickly. That goes hand-in-hand with beating the blitz.
Taking care of the football
Goff’s issues taking care of the football in L.A. were well-documented. He recorded the sixth-most turnovers in the NFL in 2019 and the fourth-most in 2020 — a total of 38 over his final year with the Rams. At one point this season, those turnover issues returned. He racked up nine in his first six games (six interceptions and three fumbles), including three returned for touchdowns. If that was the quarterback he was going to be for this Lions team, you had to squint to see a long-term fit.
Dan Campbell, Johnson and Goff preached ball security after that stretch, and they got it. Goff turned the ball over just twice from Weeks 9-18. The Lions went 8-2 in that period. He did not throw an interception in his final nine games of the season. He did not throw an interception in his final 324 pass attempts of the season — tied for the fifth-longest streak in NFL history. His interception rate of 1.2 percent for the season was the second-best in the NFL, trailing only Daniel Jones.
The takeaway: Goff clearly wanted to limit his turnovers and he did. He deserves a ton of credit for his ball security in the second half.
Passing depth, the deep ball and some interesting splits
Goff’s deep ball will always be a talking point. Anecdotally, there were a number of missed opportunities downfield that come to mind — whether it was the miscue to Chark late against the Bills or an underthrown ball to Williams against the Jets. But what do the numbers say about his willingness to stretch the field vertically?
Goff ranked 24th in the NFL in air yards per attempt at 7.04. For the season, 20.2 percent of Goff’s pass attempts were at or behind the line of scrimmage, the ninth-highest rank in the NFL. Only 9.2 percent of his attempts traveled 20 or more yards downfield for the season, which was the seventh-lowest rate among QBs. His deep pass attempt rate of 5.9 percent ranked 31st out of 33 qualified quarterbacks. Those numbers suggest a conservative approach to the deep ball.
Interestingly, the Lions were even more conservative with Goff in the second half of the season compared to the first half. The splits tell the story.
Jared Goff splits Weeks 1-8 1st Half Rank Weeks 9-18 2nd Half Rank
1) 12.40 10th 6.8 28th
2) 8.24 11th 6.15 29th
3) 45.0 5th 36.4 28th
4) 15.3 2nd-lowest 23.7 10th-highest
5) 4.43 11th 2.3 26th
1) % of attempts that traveled 20 or more air yards
2) Air yards per attempt
3) % of attempts at or past the sticks
4) % of attempts at or behind the line of scrimmage
5) Pass attempts that traveled 20 or more yards per game
The takeaway: Is this a concern? Not necessarily. When the Lions were airing it out more in the first half, Goff was turning the ball over at a much higher rate. Did the limited deep shots help with ball security? Certainly possible. The dip in passing depth happened to coincide with some of Goff’s best football of the season. From Weeks 9-18, no quarterback had a higher EPA per dropback than Goff (0.25). Clearly, it didn’t negatively affect his play.
At the same time, the Lions surely hope to find more of a middle ground — especially as Williams gets more and more involved. That’s how they take this offense to the next level.
Final thoughts
Goff isn’t the elite quarterback who can play out of structure. He is still limited in certain areas, even amid a career year. That being said, the version of Goff Detroit received, particularly in the second half, is one with which it can win. When things are going right, he can lead a top-five offense and distribute the ball to his playmakers in a timely and efficient manner. This offense is tailored to his strengths. The Lions nearly reached the playoffs with him in 2022 and they’ll look to get there in 2023 with him in the driver’s seat. Campbell and Johnson have proved capable of pressing the right buttons, and Goff’s response to criticism showed an impressive level of mental toughness. It’s hard to think of many quarterbacks who’ve dealt with more than he has the last few seasons. The fact he’s managed to rise above it is worth noting.
Colton Pouncy is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Lions. He previously covered Michigan State football and basketball for the company, and covered sports for The Tennessean in Nashville prior to joining The Athletic. Follow Colton on Twitter @colton_pouncy
Last edited by whatever_gong82; February 15, 2023, 04:00 AM."I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
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Monsters? Or JAGs? Just asking for a friend.Originally posted by jaadam4 View PostTrickalicious - I don't think it is fair that the division rivals get to play the Lions twice. The Lions NEVER get to play the Lions, let alone twice.Comment
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