Nice write up Air. I’m also wondering as some others mentioned if Amon-Ra will be spilt in the backfield or was he just filling in for Swift. Thinking about what MC/DC has said about getting their playmaker open and using mismatches we might see this in games.
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Among the many fascinating aspects of the Goff/Stafford QB switch will be watching how their strengths play out with their new teams.
Goff won’t be launching lasers and making the impossible possible with seconds left in the game.
Stafford won’t be hitting Kupp and Woods perfectly in stride to maximize YAC.
Goff will have time to throw and a running game, guiding longer drives, keeping the D off the field, and closing games.
Stafford will be in familiar territory behind a lesser Rams O Line. I hope/don’t hope he survives in one piece. (You’d think it’s out of my control, but these pins and this doll…) He’ll make the highlight plays and benefit from a far better defense than he’s used to.
Bring on the season!!!
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First off, Air, this is an amazing job and maybe the best read I’ve seen all offseason.
I find it very interesting that the staff was seemingly hyping up guys like Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman at WR and that they’re deep threat guys, and then we come and see this type of quarterback play at camp. There’s nothing wrong with it, but what’s the point of Williams, Perriman, Raymond, and also Cephus as deep threats if your QB isn’t willing to push the ball down the field very much, even when a guy is open for it.
I like it a lot that Goff is a better progression guy than Stafford was. That’s honestly my favorite thing about the change we made. I love how Goff is staying disciplined to his progressions and isn’t afraid at all to check the ball down. That being said, if Goff is such a great progression guy, then why isn’t he throwing the ball deep a lot? I see two options. One, he just can’t or doesn’t want to, which I highly doubt. Two, it isn’t the first read in the progression to hit the deep route. Why, exactly? There are some concepts that are designed to be short game and not deep shots, which I get, but am I really supposed to believe that with the fans in the stands and on the game field, that through the whole practice, Lynn didn’t call up one concept that’s designed to get 30+ yards?
To me and the way I think about offense, that’s not just discouraging, that makes me question the philosophies of the while offensive scheme.
While I like this move, a lot, and I like that Goff is more comfortable in the gun than under center, with the way we’re apparently running an offense, why does this make sense?
It looks like our base offense is going to be shotgun with a TE, have Tyrell and Perriman clear the corners and a safety, and have Amon-Ra and Hock there to catch underneath, with Swift as a very good check down option. When you say it like that, it makes it look a lot like this coaching staff really does understand where their strengths and weaknesses are, and are going to build their schemes around their players. Problem is, I don’t know if that’s going to work or not. I don’t see enough deep (20+) yard concepts to be balanced in the pass game.
For the run base, we’ll probably be in the same kind of formation, and trust our O-line and Hock to be good blockers which they are, and that we trust Swift and his athleticism to be special. Again, this is promising that they’re building their offense around their players and not their players around their offense. I just hope J-Will translates from what I’m hearing he’s doing in camp to offset Swift and give him a break every now and then, because he’s the engine of this offense.
Now, if you asked me to evaluate the defense, here’s what my football mind would do…
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This is great. Thank you
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I really hope to see J-Will and Swift in split back setups. I love split tailbacks but we rarely see that anymore.
I do think moving Amon-Ra around as a chess piece makes a lot of sense though. If one thing holds him back as a rookie it’s probably going to be experienced defenders and their jams impeding his release. Move him around and scheme him free releases and let his talent take it from there.
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I’ve been talking about wanting 2 back sets too, since early on. We’ll see how much this does/doesn’t materialize, when the games start. I feel we need 3 good backs to do much of it, otherwise we won’t be able to use it if someone gets hurt. JJ, J-Will, and Swift. Potential. Inevitable that we lose one of our starters for a game or two. Can JJ get’r’done? How much will we use the 2 back sets. I feel like it’s conducive to Goff’s skill set, from what I’m reading. Giving him options to work the mid to short game wizardry.
Edit…
Also wondering if this could be a perfect storm for that sort of success, as I expect us to start smashing people with downfield blocking. I really have my fingers crossed for this. I think it could be the best downfield blocking we’ve seen since Brett Perriman sticking up for his buddy Barry.
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Honestly in that situation I think both QB’s could close out the win in this offense. From what I’ve seen so far this offense will be run heavy, laced with high percentage passing plays. I hate to say it looks conservative but it really does.
As for Sewell - Honestly I wasn’t watching the trenches as closely because of how the practices are ran. Contact is minimal. Aggression in the trenches is limited. It’s really hard to get a fair read on them and I was concentrating on the skill positions. It’s hard to watch both at the same time.
However I have noticed some stuff about the trenches and defense but I’m saving it for my next write up and after I see Wednesdays practice. I plan to watch defense and trenches more
Closely on Wednesday. After that I can hone in my thoughts and share them with you all. So stay tuned.
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Wait until after Wednesday and I’ll have enough notes and thoughts to share. So far most of my attention has been on the skill positions. Stay tuned!
Goff throws a beautiful pass. Tight spiral, it comes out quick with a nice shallow arc to it and it is pin point accurate.
But his deep pass isn’t as flat as Stafford’s. It’s obvious Stafford has a much bigger cannon than Goff. However Goff has no problem delivering the ball down field but when he does his accuracy was lacking. To be honest I’m not sure why he’s struggling to deliver it deep.
When I went to camp with Stafford at QB the Lions constantly practiced deep passes. Stafford went deep in practice a lot. He took more chances in practice and you could see his downfield accuracy improve with each practice because he had more time with his receiver.
However the Lions with Goff rarely threw it deep. And in the instances where Goff had a deep threat open and a receiver open underneath he always seemed to take the safer, easier choice. Stafford would have been far more aggressive and taken the WR who was open deep. Stafford lived for that. Goff seems more timid.
My issue with it all is that it’s clearly an area he needs to work on and their choosing to barely give him snaps doing it. He needs deep ball in
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I wanna see Alim as a split back on the delayed HB screen. Can you imagine the feeling in the secondary with him running around the edge with a wall of blockers?!? HA!
We can call the play “kneecaps.”
Kneecaps right on 2.
Does seem like it would make for some good football games…
See if you can suggest it during Super VIP Lions Loyalty Garden Party?
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I was worried about Goff having to adjust to his new receivers and that it may take time for them to get on the same page. I’m no longer worried about that. Goff’s accuracy with every receiver shows that he will adjust quickly to them.
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I thought his practices were similar to how Caldwell ran them. They play it safe with players and try to save them for game day.
The only issue I have with DC practice style is the mock plays. Where they act like they are doing the play but don’t. Seems like a waste of time to me.
There’s nothing DC is doing that I feel alarmed or concerned by.
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To be fair though, I think Tyrell and Perriman are both hurt and didn’t practice.
Maybe since you thought DC was agitated, he might push Goff and the offense to practice more deep ball passing.
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I suspect we will see this a lot on game days.
Yeah but I don’t think that’s it. They have plenty of speed still to be taking snaps throwing it deep.
It’s something I’ll be paying attention too at the next practice as well.
I also suspect that as Goff settles in he will get more comfortable throwing deeper routes…. But I still think they should be practicing it with who they have. Injuries do happen.
2 back sets is something I’m really excited about. I could see us using Swift and Williams together, they are both solid receivers, and I think St. Brown could be dangerous in that role as well. All 3 can do some damage with YAC.
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You think we could count on him to pick up a block from that position? Might be a LB. I’m thinking Defenses would know he was purely an offensive weapon, and not out there to protect, and that could make us a little more predictable, even given the versatility for the 2 back sets.
Seems like with the current talent Goff is a better fit. Our weapons are pass catching RBs, a Pro Bowl TE and a rookie slot guy. We lack credible deep threats
Seems the more accurate QB for short to intermediate passes who can hit the slant and throw with touch is better than a gunslinger who wants to throw deep
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Anything around jefferson as a receiving RB?
Did you even mention Cephus? I thought he was supposed to be one of our starters on the outside?
I’ve seen Amon-Ra being really physical @ USC with his run blocking, he could pass block with some coaching. But, I think more likely is he will be running routes out of the 2 back set instead of pass blocking. He could also carry the football, he played a bit of running back @ USC and the dude is built like a running back.
Go to the 5:48 mark of the video to see St. Brown being used in a 2 back set with a few examples of him running routes out of the backfield and taking handoffs. He’s got experience in that roll.
Defenses could be in for some trouble if they try to cover Swift or St. Brown with linebackers. Tough matchup for most safeties as well.