Baltimore Beatdown asked Pride of Detroit to tell them what they can expect from Dan Campbell and his team this Monday Night Football when the Ravens host the Lions. Ryan Matthews, Senior Editor at Pride of Detroit, has provided the answers. Check out our responses to their Ravens questions here.
Week 2 was a big step in re-establishing the trust and belief of the fans in the team, but I doubt the players or the coaching staff ever questioned that. Dan Campbell’s foundational pillar of accountability was put into place in 2021 when he took over as head coach. The foundation of it all is relying on the person next to you in line to do his job and for that person to trust you to also do yours. Accountability is a byproduct of trust. This team, including the owners, front office and players, trust Dan Campbell.
They trusted him to choose John Morton as the offensive coordinator for 2022. Morton was Detroit’s assistant offensive coach in 2022. Morton played a key role in the development of the offensive system which has led the team to success. After resolving the communication issues that plagued the offense in the season opener against Green Bay Packers and the 52-point win over the Chicago Bears, the offense appears to be back to their old ways.
The Lions filled the other notable vacancy, that of defensive coordinator. They promoted Kelvin Sheppard, who had been a long-time coach in the position, to take charge of defense. Sheppard spent years studying under his mentor Aaron Glenn and it was clear that Sheppard would be taking over Glenn’s role as defensive coordinator. Glenn in December last year:
“He has been there since the beginning and he understands exactly what I am thinking–exactly.” Glenn explained that he had been mentoring a man to take on the DC role. “I think that he is ready, if not already there. He is a good coach and he’s very fiery. He’s everything you need in a linebacker’s coach. And there are some coaches who I believe have to be bulldogs. He’s definitely one of them.
While there have been changes, they are marked by the familiarity of people who were trusted years ago. They remain focused on their ultimate goal, which is to win the Super Bowl for the very first time in the history of their franchise.
We haven’t witnessed any of the tricks that were synonymous with Ben Johnson’s “mad scientist’ moniker during his tenure in Detroit. But we do see Morton use the wealth of talent he has to cause damage, which we saw last week in abundance. In Week 1, not so much.
The miscommunications and missed assignments on the offensive line against Green Bay prevented Detroit from establishing a running game, a hallmark of Campbell’s teams since his arrival in Detroit. The Packers’ Cover 2 Buzz and Cover 3 buzz looks caused the Lions a lot of trouble and muddied the middle of field where Jared Goff, the Lions offense and their running game thrive.
The West Coast-style principles are still very evident in the Lions offense, despite the Payton influence. This includes a power running game, intermediate and short routes, and a quarterback in total control of the situation. The Lions’ offense is particularly effective because of the talent in the skill positions. Sam LaPorta, with his hands and size, is an athlete who can be a force in the ground game. Amon-Ra St. Brown is a great fit for this offense because he has a good rapport with Goff, and he knows where to look for open spaces. Jameson Williams can be a nightmare to play against when he is in a hurry and catches the football across the field. The scheme is very diverse, and helps to highlight the skills of the high-skilled athletes it employs.
Morton is still a mystery at this stage of the season. We’re only two weeks in, so it’s hard to tell what he has planned. But what is certain is that he is committed to the play-action pass and the run game – both Goff’s strong suits. This offense is a lot more explosive when both things are going well. It was a great week ago. “When Detroit cannot establish themselves at the line-of-scrimmage and when they are unable to move people on the ground, they struggle to maintain Goff clean in his pocket and on mark, it makes it difficult for the offense establish a rhythm, like it did in week one.”
“Week one was a disasterclass. The Lions’ poor communication and the Packers’ pass rush were both responsible for the Lions’ 13 pressures, 46 rushing yard on 22 carries and their 13 pressures. This was the Lions’ worst rushing performance in 2023 since Week 6, when Jahmyr gibbs was an injury-inactive and David Montogmery injured and was ruled out by halftime.
The Lions’ offensive line only allowed two pressures the following week and racked up 177 yards of rushing on just 30 carries. This week will be more difficult. It all came down to communication, and the execution of that communication. You want to test the communication skills of your line if you are an opponent’s defensive coordinator. Baltimore is home, and the Bank should be full of energy. Zach Orr would do well to be more aggressive in passing downs, if the Ravens are successful against the run.
The Ravens should make Glasgow and Goff do more work at the line in order to determine what is real and what is not. “Especially because the rest of the Lions’ interior is relatively new to the NFL: Christian Mahogany is on his fifth NFL start and Tate Ratledge is only getting his third taste.”
Hutchinson’s injury in that game, a little more than a calendar year ago, was deflating. You’re correct, Hutchinson was on track to win the Defensive Players of the Year. If not for this injury, the Lions’ defense would have ended up being their downfall last season.
Hutchinson was himself during Week 1 and then again in the second week. He has already had seven pressures in two games and his first sack this season. Detroit may have more reinforcements at the edge but for now he is shouldering an extremely heavy workload (103 snaps – 14th in edge defenders). The Lions need him to continue to be the game-changer he was last year, and that includes contributions to first and second down.
“I was as shocked as anyone else when they traded veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick. The Lions were down to 53 players. TeSlaa’s performance in training camp and in preseason games improved, but it was still a shock to me that the Lions were so confident in him.
In his one season at Arkansas he was a slot receiver who played a lot of the time. But he surprised everyone when he quickly showed that he understood and could play an X-receiver. He was able to catch the ball away from his body, with hands that were consistent and sound. This will be tested in the regular-season, as he does not want to use his hands when only one is needed. We heard a lot of praise for his physicality as a downfield blocker.
Let’s make sure that we look at all the options and focus on the running backs. Detroit’s talented running backs will benefit from a strong offensive line, as we learned in the first two games. The Lions’ backs are talented, but there is a whole other level of potential in this ground attack once the pieces come together.
David Montgomery, who is still a key player in this team’s offense, is playing a larger role than ever this season. He is a valuable player between the tackles as well as in situations requiring short yards. Gibbs can take advantage of a defense’s inertia after Montgomery has worn them down. Both of these players need to keep each other fresh to be effective late in games. That’s the formula for Detroit’s past success: wear down the opponent over three quarters, then rely on their ability control the ball because you can’t catch up with their horses.