For three weeks, the Detroit Lions have had a strange split personality on offense: blazing hot after halftime, frustratingly sluggish to start.
That has not kept them from winning. It has, however, made life harder than it needs to be.
The Lions are 2-1, and new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has plenty to feel good about in his first season with the team. Detroit has put up exactly 31 points in all three games, and the big names are producing at a high level.
Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown have all been electric.
Sunday’s win over the New York Jets was another strong example. On paper, the Jets came in with what looked like one of the league’s toughest defenses, based on yards per game and points allowed. Detroit still found a way to answer when it mattered most, and after New York tied the game at 24, Petzing dialed up a four-play touchdown drive to grab the lead right back.
But the opening stretches of these games have been a problem.
Through three weeks, the Lions are averaging nine points in the first half and 22 in the second half plus overtime. They have been blanked in two straight first quarters, and in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints they managed only seven first-quarter points.
Even that start against the Saints came late in the quarter. Detroit’s touchdown on that day came on its second drive, with 3:39 left in the first.
Since then, the offense has been even slower to get rolling. In the next two games, the Lions did not score until their third drive, with those touchdowns coming at 5:03 and 9:35 left in the second quarter.
Against the Jets, the first touchdown did not arrive until eight minutes into the game clock.
There was at least a little progress against New York. It was the first time this season Detroit avoided a three-and-out on its opening drive.
That said, the result still was not clean. The drive ended in a sack, just like the first drive against the Buffalo Bills.
Against the Saints, the opening possession went backward on a three-yard loss by Gibbs on third-and-1.
The Lions’ first drives have been painfully quiet. Entering Sunday, they had produced just one combined yard on those opening possessions against the Saints and Bills.
The strange part is that the scoring output has been massive. Detroit has hit 31 points in each game, and as Cem Yolbulan pointed out on Detroit Jock City, that is the first time in franchise history the Lions have scored 30 or more points in their first three games.
Still, 31 has barely been enough because the other side of the ball has not consistently held up its end. The defense remains vulnerable, especially after halftime.
The Bills game was the outlier. If you remove Buffalo’s 27 first-half points, the Lions have allowed only seven first-half points in the other two games combined.
That is why the slow starts matter so much. When the defense is giving the offense a chance to build a cushion, Detroit has to take advantage.
Instead, the Lions have been forced into games where they needed every bit of that scoring production to survive. Buffalo was the clearest example, jumping out to a 21-0 lead before Detroit spent the rest of the afternoon playing catch-up.
Now the Lions are headed back into the national spotlight for Sunday Night Football against the Carolina Panthers. Bryce Young is leading a passing game that tops the league with 939 passing yards, and the setup points to a high-scoring night.
Carolina’s defense has taken a hit, too. The Panthers lost star cornerback Jaycee Horn this past week, a major blow to a pass defense that had been one of its strengths.
That opens the door for Petzing and the Lions to finally come out fast. In a primetime game that looks built for offense, every possession is going to count.
In Other News...
Lions Just Reopened A Roster Spot With A Familiar Return
The Lions made a familiar practice-squad swap Tuesday, parting ways with cornerback Natrone Brooks and bringing back tight end Miles Kitselman. Kitselman is returning to Detroit after previously being waived with an injury settlement, a transaction that had temporarily taken him off the teams roster picture but left the door open for a reunion down the line.
Kitselmans return gives Detroit another look at a player the organization already knows, while the move also keeps the tight end room in motion after a series of roster adjustments at the position. The broader backdrop includes the injury settlement process, which can create an opening for a later return, and it comes amid other recent moves involving tight ends and defensive end Ahmed Hassanein. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Campbell Just Made Derrick Moores Path To Playing Time Clear
Derrick Moore has spent the early part of his Lions career a step behind, a familiar place for a rookie defensive end trying to climb a crowded depth chart while also dealing with lost practice time because of injury. For a Detroit defense that is still sorting through adjustments, the development curve has been especially important, and head coach Dan Campbell made it clear Moores next step is all about getting more work and turning those reps into trust.
Campbell said Moore needs those chances to keep growing, and that the expectation inside the building is he will improve and push for more playing time as he gets comfortable. Campbell also noted he has been spending extra time in defensive meetings to help with the ongoing adjustments on that side of the ball, which only adds to the sense that Detroit is trying to steady the group while waiting for younger pieces like Moore to catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have A Tough Center Decision Before Division Games
Juice Scruggs has handled the center job well through the first three games, giving the Lions something they needed in the middle of the offensive line after moving him into the role. He has graded out strongly and looked comfortable enough that Detroit now has a real decision to make as the schedule turns tougher, with divisional games looming against the Packers and Vikings.
Dan Campbell said Cade Mays is making progress in his recovery, but a Week 4 return may still be a stretch, and the Lions may choose to wait until after the bye before bringing him back into the mix. That leaves Detroit weighing continuity against the possibility of getting Mays back in place at center, a choice that could shape how the line holds up in the games that matter most for the division race. [Read more 🡒]