I don’t believe there is any question the Lions will have a dominant offense provided they somehow, someway, buck the injury curse that seems to plague them year after year
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Yea that is most often a massive problem. Last year Flowers, Romeo, Okudah, Decker, Ragnow and Ty Williams barely played. Those guys combined were making like 50% of the salary cap for almost no production. No team is going to win when that happens.
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I honestly think goff had 0 chemistry with anyone here. I mean really what do the other players think? holy crap the rams gave away a ton to get rid of this dude.
honestly I don’t get it. goff has plenty of tools to use. his deep arm strength is similar to stafford, he’s actually more accurate on crossers and slants, he just doesn’t throw 110 mph for a 10 yard completion, and he probably can’t do all the crazy arm angles stafford can.
so is it decision making? does he make the wrong reads? is there something wrong with his arm now that wasn’t there with the rams?
Or was it a combination of A Lynn scheming it that way and not having receivers that were even backup worthy for half the year?
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Well we know Goff has chemistry with Reynolds. And there have been pics posted of he and the receiving group working out together this off-season
Amon Ra had the best rookie WR season in the history of the Lions and was top five all time for rookie receptions. That doesn’t happen without some QB chemistry
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It’s processing speed. The number one trait for a QB. All the elite QBs can activate all eligibles (as mcvay likes to say). By seeing, processing, and getting through the right reads from top to bottom. Especially while not in a perfect pocket. The biggest change we made from Lynn to Johnson was making simpler, shorter reads for the QB. A lot of time we limited the reads to half the field. This is why Goff isn’t a top level QB. Now, you surround a guy with the right type of players and scheme, you can still produce. But it makes your ability to adapt to defenses, injuries, etc, much smaller.
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That was what people were saying about Stafford in Lombardis complicated offense. Lions offense was stagnant until Cooter took over and simplified the playbook and brought back a lot of the Linehan stuff
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Actually the Lions went to deeper throws after Lynn left. Also St Brown Reynolds and Decker were present. He will be fine reading the field and going deep.
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You, and a lot of posters here, are confusing potential with performance.
There’s no question the Lions will field an offense w/tremendous potential. AND we expect the eventual starting receivers on that team to be a rookie coming off an ACL tear, a newbie coming off a fractured ankle who totaled 860 receiving yards in his previous two seasons - that’s two guys new to the offensive scheme, one new to the NFL - and a 2nd year slot receiver on whom teams now have tape.
If Jamo isn’t ready to go it’s a decent bet that the starting wideouts will include a 4th-stringer the Rams released last year (Reynolds) and a guy the Jags let walk this year (Chark) despite being only 22nd in passing yards last year. I’m glad to have them, but they’re castoffs.
And, oh yeah, the Lions #1 incumbent starter at running back gained 617 yards on 4.1 ypc last year. 22/32 TEAMS averaged better than that.
Those are the facts. Yes, for sure injuries account for a lot there. But the bottom line is that, until proven otherwise thru actual performance, those facts alone leaves plenty of room for questions about how dominant the offense will be.
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True but aside from the potentially elite weapons added this year in Chark and Williams, there is actual performance to draw from. The hope is they can carry momentum from the end of last year. The last six games the Lions ranked:
- 151 points (11th)
- 2,125 yards (13th)
- 5.6 yards per play (11th)
That’s scratching top ten across the board after Campbell took over playcalling, and they got Decker back.
Additionally consider who they missed during those games when the offense was firing
- Goff: missed 2 games
- Ragnow: missed all 6 games
- Hockenson: missed 5 games
- Swift: missed 4 games
It’s not purely a hopium dream that, if we stay relatively healthy, we can be a top ten offense all year
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We will be a top 10 (ish) Offense this year, my man! 
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“Hopium dream.” I like it.
I hear you and I’m with you. There’s ample reason for hope and I’m very hopeful.
But being hopeful is different than saying “I don’t believe there is any question the Lions will have a dominant offense” barring injury. I’m a HUGE fan of Jared Goff’s - a 40-year Rams’ fan who renounced my fandom out of disgust for McVay’s treatment of him and followed Jared to Detroit (a city I have huge respect for for personal reasons). McVay damn near destroyed Goff’s confidence and career and I truly believe Holmes and Campbell will reap some sweet rewards for building him back up.
But does Jared have questions to answer in re his performance? Of course he does. Jamo? Yes. Chark, Amon-Ra, Reynolds, Swift? Yes, yes, yes, yes. All the other guys on the OL and elsewhere coming back from injury? Yes.
Lions were 25th in ppg last year and 22nd in yds/game. To jump into the top 10 in either or both is a LOT to ask right off the bat.
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This is why I’ve suggested 7-8 wins. Goff needs to be top 12’ish in his performance. That puts him in Tannehill, Cousins, Matt Ryan territory. But more than that, he just needs to demonstrate control and leadership.
Those things happen and we can feel better about the position.
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We were 18th in rushing as a team for the whole season and only 200 yards (12/13 yards extra a game) from a top ten unit…
We will be fine barring injury….
For me, seeing how our new OC does with a full season is my unknown factor. How does he adjust as opposing teams get more film on him
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I’m not confusing anything but I appreciate the analysis, pretty much disagree with everything there after but let’s see how this plays out with a small caveat that the Lions must manage to stay relatively injury free
Get on board my man, I would put forth there is a very thin line between being a realist or a defeatist
Cheers!
He will hit top 12 statistically.
It’s the leadership that concerns me.
What makes me most nervous, is that we may not find out until it’s too late.
I DO think he can do it. He’s gonna have to challenge his own identity and step up. That’s a much harder task than learning to step into the pocket to avoid sacks and take better care fo the football.
He will get a ton corrected.
This offense will murder ass.
Can Goff handle the adversity of the playoffs and beyond? That’s when we find out, and if we miss, and if he were to cost us those types of games, it would already be too late…coaches have to go off of intuition and projections of wether he can do it or not.
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Yep.
If he gets called out for the third consecutive year by a coach, they’ll move on. Last 3 years he was ranked bottom third. Can’t happen for a 4th year in a row.
But if he takes advantage of his situation and produces, and the coaching staff trusts him to lead the team, it’s not just great for the team, it’s the resurrection of a career. I’m (deeply) skeptical but hopeful.
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I think he will
THIS…IMO, is the thing.
Woooord. If we can have faith in him, we can go out and get a monster DT that changes EVERYTHING about our D.
…ten we go get a lethal RB that rounds out nuclear weapon at ever skill position on offense.
It’s a big, big, deal…if Goff works out. Cuts the rebuild down by 3 years minimum.
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I wouldn’t think it’s that cut and dry. The coaching criticism of Goff last year was pretty tame and definitely outweighed by the vocal and obvious support from Holmes and Campbell. They basically said they were happy with him and he’s our guy
But sometimes QBs do need to be challenged by a coach and that’s way different than the outright hostility McVey showed
I mean let’s remember too Caldwell benched Stafford in 2015 when we were 0-5 and Stafford just threw two bad picks against the Cards
Seemed like a bit of a wake up call tor Stafford. And last year, how did Goff play after that down the stretch?
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My final comment in this thread at risk of being christened a “Goffling” (which I thought was hilarious btw)
Ya bald fook, LOL (sorry but I’m half bald too) Goff’s resilience in a playoff atmosphere, no wait, thee most ridiculous road game disadvantage ever (picture what Ford Field would be if every fan brought a whistle to blow during the visiting teams possession at your HCs request)
Right, the narrative is the Rams were handed that game via a blown call, in a game of many blown calls, most to the advantage of the home team, with that being said, the Saints took the lead with 1:42 left with the Rams having one time out in the most insane environment ever and Jared Goff led them down the field to tie the game.
The Saints won the coin toss for OT, got the obligatory makeup pass interference call and turned the ball over two plays later, then JG leads the Rams to victory. (there was no McVay in his ear in that environment)
My point is JG in the most hostile environment probably in the history of the NFL, led his team to the SB, in the process defeating the great Drew Brees on his home field when he was primed and ready to take his team to the SB.
My take, my friend, is that your concern has been already asked and answered on the field.
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