DetNews: Jared Goff: 'Extra part' makes new Lions OC Drew Petzing special

The Den
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Offseason puff piece but a couple of tidbits within it re difference between Morton and Ptezing

# Jared Goff: ‘Extra part’ makes new Lions OC Drew Petzing special
full article at link.

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Despite some up-and-down production from a Cardinals offense that lacked talent and health over his three seasons in the desert, Petzing’s prior experience is a huge plus for Goff, who was dealing with a first-time coordinator and play-caller in 2025.

“He’s been a coordinator previously, I believe, three years, right? So he’s got a great feel for what it’s like to run an offense and to run a room and how to balance volume with intentionally attacking a defense, and trying to find yourself in the right plays,” Goff said.

“It’s hard, man. There’s a lot to it than just drawing up plays, and I think he’s got that extra part to it — as well as the play stuff’s great, the scheme’s great — but the part that’s outside of the X’s and O’s, I think he does a hell of a job with that.”

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Asked to elaborate on that “extra part,” one of the many things Goff noted was communication, something that was clearly off under Morton. Everybody — from the head coach to the offensive coordinator to the offensive players — had a different perspective on why things weren’t clicking like they were under former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, with Morton frequently saying it was a lack of execution that was holding the Lions’ offense back.

Early on, it seems like one of Petzing’s main goals is to get everybody on the same page — a promising effort as the calendar flips to June.

“It’s communication, it’s knowing when to balance simple, easy concepts with complexities that we can all handle, and then knowing how to install, how to keep it fun and keep the energy up, and then how to hold guys accountable and lead and be able to be in front of the room,” Goff said.

“And he’s been great at it.”

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I feel better about the OC here than the DC. Maybe he’ll prove me wrong but last year wasn’t great with is playcalling. Honestly, probably a mix of hard schedule and injuries but it just didn’t feel ‘right’ to me.

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I think one thing to remember that doesn’t get a lot of mention with regards to Shepherd.

First half defense played well
when the dbs started to get injured, the d started to struggle and that is where i think we felt the impact of a rookie DC. Didn’t adjust well at all, last couple of games were an improvement.

So, basically i agree with you but have to remember the first half as well.

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Same with me. There’s just so much talent on the Offense that I think it feels more like we’re bringing Petzing in to fit into an already established system that’s built to succeed. And with Goff and MCDC in place there is plenty of oversite to help Petzing along if he needs it.

Shep just seems like he’s out on an island alone without much mentorship to help him grow through his inexperience and knowledge base.

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yep I took injuries into account, but the cure to average to poor coverage is up front pressure.

we didn’t see anything exotic, nothing really shifty at least from what I could see and I think what the game chat was noticing. a lot of bland blitzes that ran right into blocking.

IMO hutch can be a demon with his motor, and keeping him only on the ends is a disservice to his mobility and reflexes, especially being able to bat down or hell just catch passes. Perhaps moving him to more of a linebacker/pass rush specialist would be better. shrug

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Thank you for posting all these news articles @frm710

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As I think I said, I probably agree and I think you are pointing out the difference between a rookie DC and a more established DC when it comes to adjustments. Or, in last season’s situation, lack therof.

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I too was once described as having an extra part. I was flattered but considered it a bit of stretch.

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oh sure, but it would also make sense that this is a very very high profile position/job. There is plenty PLENTY of data out there on running defenses, as well as his own experience working on an NFL team. I guess I’m a bit over the ‘learning as you go’ kind of thing.

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Seems like it would be better to hire someone that doesn’t have to learn as they go. Someone who already knows what they are doing.

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Every time I hear this on the board I hear “hey when healthy Shep was good”. What I question is once Shep had 7-8 games on tape did the other teams see right through his schemes and expose the defense.

Likely the reality lays somewhere in between.

I did like the concept of a play led defense giving the guys (at least the LBs and DBs the ability to make calls on the fly and adjust real time. I often think of those Raven Defenses and how the defense was like an ameba adjusting all the time. And this may be where Shep was hurt the most because to do that you need really smart safeties. Which when our starting 2 went down I am sure that hurt them quite a bit (obvi).

I still believe that the org should have pushed to get Flores. But I am willing to get behind Shep. I agree in theory on where he wanted to take the defense. I am just not confident he can lead them to that place. And that stems purely from the reality that he is so young and lacks experience.

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I could not agree more with this.

I am questioning MCDCs ability to put an average defense on the field. And at the end of the day it falls on him. Forget elite at this point.

Would have liked to have seen a few back office experts brought in to help Shep since it is clear we are not moving on from him anytime soon.

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And your point is another way of saying what I was saying, or attempting to poorly.
We had a rookie DC that when adversity hit he didn’t adapt quickly and when he did last couple games it was way too late.
So, we see what happens this season, Im optimistic but then I’m usually a glass half full guy. I can see why a Spartan wouldn’t be that way.

:slight_smile:

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LOL

Actually you MUST be an optimist to be an MSU Football fan. Otherwise you will likely slit your own wrists. And my biggest example of risk or bad risk or unexplained risk was when UM hired Moore which seemed insane to me. You are coming off a Natty, you are the winningest Program in college Football history, and you give the program over to a guy who had never been a HC and quite franking ran an offense designed by a 9th grade football coach. It seemed insane. And I am not saying Moore is a knucklehead (well he did take a few steps in that direction) I am just saying that he was not a wizard like Ben Johnson. If you are going to hand over that program to a OC who was never a HC then he better be considered a freak and genius. Which he was not considered either. I do think he can recruit or could.

You take chances or hire coaches that are risky because either you are cheap or you suck and no one will come here. So the Shep hired just seemed to me a bad hire from the beginning.

And to be clear. It is less about the Xs and Os and more about knowing how to install defenses, coach a unit, and call defenses. The things that concern me about Shep have very little to do with knowledge or intelligence. It is all about experience and knowing how to manage a defense all season. How to set up the offense into making mistakes and keeping the other team off balance.

Sheps biggest improvement in all those areas will be year 2 obviously like any person adapting to a knew job. We should learn much more about his ceiling as a DC by the end of this 2026 season. Which is all we have at the moment.

Again I do agree with his ideas of a player lead defense. I just have no idea if he can install it and teach it so that the defense can execute and be top 12. And now without his 2 freak safeties will he even have the dudes required? And will this mean years of excuses…sorry my Lions/Spartan PTSD just flared up.

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Well, and, as we saw, there’s a sizable difference between a good, even very good offense and a dominant one. Top defenses stymied the Lions a bunch of times last year. Winning 45-42 shootouts was a much iffier proposition. The OL had a lot to do with that, but so did the play calls - before and after Morton.

For sure, we need a good defense. We used to pine after the prospect of an “average” D, and maybe that’s the more realistic goal. But I’m holding out for ALL the “ifs” to pay out, leaving us with a GREAT offense and a GOOD defense.

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Flores and the Vikings in particular. That can’t happen again if we want to win the division.

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There’s nothing to feel good about when you have a fully healthy front 7 and still give up 1,200 yards rushing in the last 9 games.

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For me it goes back to the OL and specifically C vs the Vikings.
Ragnow know how to diagnose a lot of their defense and the rest of the OL was solld from T to T

Last year too many young players, injured T and a poor C play

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No doubt. Flores found the weak interior and exposed it. In the past we ran the ball well vs the Vikes. But we couldn’t last year. Gibbs had 25 yards and 41 yards rushing in the 2 games last year. Aint gonna be too successful without a running game. The good news is Petzing has had some really good rushing attacks and we improved the oline.

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