5 Questions about the NFL, New Rule’s, Strategies and approaches

The War Room Detroit Lions — The Den
#1

With everything going on with Covid and all the new rules, CBA, etc … for me this begs several concerns, and questions about approach and strategies.

I’d like to discuss them

  1. With a shortened training camp and no preseason games to help teams prepare will BQ’s approach be a success? Meaning will teams relying more on rookies start slower? BQ took the approach of having fewer low end rookies and UDFA on the roster.

  2. Will having a rookie DC who is also new DC for the Lions, hurt the Lions defense? Will the defense struggles early on?

  3. With most of the offense returning and its coaches will that be our strength?

  4. Because of Covid will we see more penalties, injuries and poor play early on? How will this effect the product on the field?

  5. How will the new playoff structure of one more team per conference effect teams strategies? Will we see more trades. Will teams rest more players? Will teams try harder to make the playoffs. Mathematically teams will take longer to be eliminated.

#2

  1. I don’t think we will be very successful this year, but I do not think it will be based on the approach. I think this was the year to lean heavier on vets and less on rookies, at least thru the first half of the season.

  2. I don’t think it will be an issue with the coaching, and we’d definitely be okay if we had the same group together. My concern is over changing out parts and pieces of the secondary, and how that communication will be hindered. It will be interesting to see how COVID makes it easier to hear the offensive adjustments and DBs being able to talk to eachother in settings where they normally would only have signals and instincts.

  3. Yes - I believe the offense is set up to have a really good year. And going back to the COVID changes where the stadiums might be quiet and the defense can hear all of the adjustments, we have a group that’s been together long enough to be able to make alot of dummy calls and adjustments on the fly. I’m really excited about what the offense will do this year.

  4. Yes on penalties, particularly with the lower noise levels. As far as poor play, I think it will be kind of like watching BYU vs Army the other day. The way each coach approached this unique offseason will show up big time on gameday, and we might see more blowouts than we normally do early on. I don’t think there will be more injuries, but people will think there are more injuries even if its the same. I could see some players going out with little dings that they normally wouldn’t, because the crowd would have given them an adrenaline rush before and now they aren’t there to feed off of. I know when I was at practice every single hit hurt worse than during a game, that’s for sure.

  5. I don’t think you’ll see much change as far as strategy, since most teams try to win as many games as they can up until the last few weeks of the season. I think the added hope of playoff spots will keep a few teams and fan bases interested longer than in the past.