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Drew Petzing does not want the Detroit Lions’ offense tied to one formation, one personnel package or even one superstar.
He wants defenses guessing.
More importantly, he wants them feeling Detroit’s physicality long after the snap ends.
“It needs to be physical. It needs to be tough. It needs to be difficult to defend, and it needs to be multiple at times,” Petzing said before Thursday’s training camp practice. “It isn’t all going to run through one player. It isn’t going to run through one personnel grouping. It will change from week to week.”
That is the clearest description yet of what Petzing hopes to build during his first season running Detroit’s offense.
The Lions are not throwing away what made them successful. They are trying to restore the physical edge that slipped last season while adding enough flexibility to prevent defenses from getting comfortable.
NFL defensive coordinators spend every week searching for tendencies.
Which personnel package signals a run? Which formation produces play action? Where does the ball go when Detroit needs six yards on third down?
Petzing wants to make those answers difficult to find.
“That’s important in this league. Defensive coordinators operate at a very high level. They watch the tape and understand scheme. Being multiple and difficult to defend is a major part of what we need to be offensively,” Petzing said.
Detroit has the personnel to make that vision realistic.
Jahmyr Gibbs can line up in the backfield, motion into the slot or create a mismatch against a linebacker. Amon-Ra St. Brown can work inside or outside. Jameson Williams changes the geometry of the field with his speed. Sam LaPorta can function as a traditional tight end or a big receiver.
Petzing’s job is not to force those players into his preferred system.
It is to build the system around what they do best.
Petzing does not appear committed to one preferred formation.
Detroit could use three tight ends one week, spread the field with four receivers the next and lean heavily on its backfield when the matchup demands it.
“I see it more as an opportunity than a sacrifice. It’s an opportunity to put your best players on the field,” Petzing said. “At other places I’ve been, sometimes that meant using 13 personnel. If it’s 11 personnel, 10 personnel or 01 personnel, that’s what it will be.”
He continued, “An important part of doing my job at a high level and doing what is best for the organization is making sure the players who can affect the game are on the field and receiving those opportunities.”
That flexibility could become one of Detroit’s greatest strengths.
Three-tight-end personnel might help the Lions pound the ball against a smaller defensive front. Four-receiver looks could force a defense to remove a linebacker and create room for Gibbs underneath.
The formation is not the identity.
Physicality, toughness and unpredictability are.
A deep offense creates another challenge.
There is only one football.
Petzing has Gibbs, St. Brown, Williams, LaPorta and several other players capable of contributing. The competition for the remaining touches will be settled during camp.
“A big part of it is challenging players and telling them, ‘If you want the ball, go earn it,’” Petzing said. “We’re in training camp. Players are fighting for roles and fighting for touches. They’re trying to show me, their teammates, the other coaches and the organization what they can do.”
Petzing also placed responsibility on himself.
“If you show me you can do something at a high level, it’s my job to put you in that position over and over again,” he said. “That’s what competition is about. It brings out the best in us individually and as a unit.”
That message applies directly to players such as Isaac TeSlaa, Greg Dortch and Detroit’s reserve running backs.
Reputation may earn the first opportunity. Production will determine whether it continues.
Being multiple will not matter if Detroit loses at the line of scrimmage.
Petzing has been encouraged by the offensive line’s attitude through the opening padded practices, even if the technical execution remains unfinished.
“I’ve been pleased with the attitude, effort and physicality,” Petzing said. “There are execution and technical things we’ll continue to clean up. The physicality is the starting point.”
He then made the standard unmistakable.
“If the physicality and toughness aren’t there, the other parts don’t matter. We’ve seen that physicality through two days. The other details will come as we progress through camp.”
That philosophy aligns with everything Dan Campbell has built in Detroit.
The Lions can have creative formations, motion and matchup concepts. None of it replaces moving a defender against his will on third-and-2.
Petzing wants both.
He wants an offense smart enough to create favorable matchups and mean enough to win when the opponent knows exactly what is coming.
Detroit’s physical identity begins with Penei Sewell.
Petzing pointed to Sewell as the player capable of holding the rest of the offensive line accountable.
“We have players in that room, Penei specifically, who will hold their teammates to that standard,” Petzing said. “He does it at such a high level.”
Sewell’s value goes beyond his individual blocking.
He finishes plays. He runs toward the football. He establishes the type of effort younger linemen are expected to match.
With Detroit changing pieces along its offensive front, Sewell’s example becomes even more important. The Lions do not need every lineman to play exactly like him.
They need every lineman to understand what the standard looks like.
Being multiple does not mean abandoning the plays Detroit already executes well.
Petzing wants variety built around a reliable foundation.
“You have to be good at what you’re good at, and you have to find different ways to do it,” Petzing said.
That may be the key to the entire offense.
Detroit can run the same core concept from different formations, motions and personnel groupings. The presentation changes. The underlying assignment remains familiar.
That allows the Lions to create complexity for the defense without creating confusion for their own players.
The best offenses often look expansive to opponents and simple to the people executing them.
Petzing appears to be chasing that balance.
Petzing does not intend to lock Detroit into an August identity and carry it unchanged through January.
The personnel, opponent and matchup will shape the weekly plan.
“As we get closer to the end of camp, we’ll begin shifting into more of a game-planning mindset,” Petzing said. “We’ll ask who we’re playing, what fronts they use, where the key matchups are and how we can exploit them.”
For now, the Lions remain focused on themselves.
“Right now, the focus remains on improving who we are and complementing that with some of those additional elements,” Petzing said.
That is the natural order.
Detroit must first establish what it can execute consistently. Once that foundation is solid, Petzing can begin shaping the offense around each opponent.
Drew Petzing wants the Detroit Lions to become physical, tough, multiple and difficult to predict.
The offense will not belong exclusively to Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown or any single formation. Personnel groupings will change. Touches must be earned. The weekly game plan will follow the matchups.
One expectation will remain constant.
Detroit must play with force.
Petzing is not trying to reinvent the Lions’ offensive identity. He is trying to restore its physical edge while giving defenses more problems to solve.
That combination could make Detroit far more dangerous than an offense built around one player, one package or one way to win.
Continue reading...
He wants defenses guessing.
More importantly, he wants them feeling Detroit’s physicality long after the snap ends.
“It needs to be physical. It needs to be tough. It needs to be difficult to defend, and it needs to be multiple at times,” Petzing said before Thursday’s training camp practice. “It isn’t all going to run through one player. It isn’t going to run through one personnel grouping. It will change from week to week.”
That is the clearest description yet of what Petzing hopes to build during his first season running Detroit’s offense.
The Lions are not throwing away what made them successful. They are trying to restore the physical edge that slipped last season while adding enough flexibility to prevent defenses from getting comfortable.
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Petzing Wants an Offense Without an Easy Answer
NFL defensive coordinators spend every week searching for tendencies.
Which personnel package signals a run? Which formation produces play action? Where does the ball go when Detroit needs six yards on third down?
Petzing wants to make those answers difficult to find.
“That’s important in this league. Defensive coordinators operate at a very high level. They watch the tape and understand scheme. Being multiple and difficult to defend is a major part of what we need to be offensively,” Petzing said.
Detroit has the personnel to make that vision realistic.
Jahmyr Gibbs can line up in the backfield, motion into the slot or create a mismatch against a linebacker. Amon-Ra St. Brown can work inside or outside. Jameson Williams changes the geometry of the field with his speed. Sam LaPorta can function as a traditional tight end or a big receiver.
Petzing’s job is not to force those players into his preferred system.
It is to build the system around what they do best.
Personnel Groupings Will Change With the Matchup
Petzing does not appear committed to one preferred formation.
Detroit could use three tight ends one week, spread the field with four receivers the next and lean heavily on its backfield when the matchup demands it.
“I see it more as an opportunity than a sacrifice. It’s an opportunity to put your best players on the field,” Petzing said. “At other places I’ve been, sometimes that meant using 13 personnel. If it’s 11 personnel, 10 personnel or 01 personnel, that’s what it will be.”
He continued, “An important part of doing my job at a high level and doing what is best for the organization is making sure the players who can affect the game are on the field and receiving those opportunities.”
That flexibility could become one of Detroit’s greatest strengths.
Three-tight-end personnel might help the Lions pound the ball against a smaller defensive front. Four-receiver looks could force a defense to remove a linebacker and create room for Gibbs underneath.
The formation is not the identity.
Physicality, toughness and unpredictability are.
Lions Players Must Earn Their Opportunities
A deep offense creates another challenge.
There is only one football.
Petzing has Gibbs, St. Brown, Williams, LaPorta and several other players capable of contributing. The competition for the remaining touches will be settled during camp.
“A big part of it is challenging players and telling them, ‘If you want the ball, go earn it,’” Petzing said. “We’re in training camp. Players are fighting for roles and fighting for touches. They’re trying to show me, their teammates, the other coaches and the organization what they can do.”
Petzing also placed responsibility on himself.
“If you show me you can do something at a high level, it’s my job to put you in that position over and over again,” he said. “That’s what competition is about. It brings out the best in us individually and as a unit.”
That message applies directly to players such as Isaac TeSlaa, Greg Dortch and Detroit’s reserve running backs.
Reputation may earn the first opportunity. Production will determine whether it continues.
Physicality Comes Before Everything Else
Being multiple will not matter if Detroit loses at the line of scrimmage.
Petzing has been encouraged by the offensive line’s attitude through the opening padded practices, even if the technical execution remains unfinished.
“I’ve been pleased with the attitude, effort and physicality,” Petzing said. “There are execution and technical things we’ll continue to clean up. The physicality is the starting point.”
He then made the standard unmistakable.
“If the physicality and toughness aren’t there, the other parts don’t matter. We’ve seen that physicality through two days. The other details will come as we progress through camp.”
That philosophy aligns with everything Dan Campbell has built in Detroit.
The Lions can have creative formations, motion and matchup concepts. None of it replaces moving a defender against his will on third-and-2.
Petzing wants both.
He wants an offense smart enough to create favorable matchups and mean enough to win when the opponent knows exactly what is coming.
Penei Sewell Sets the Standard Up Front
Detroit’s physical identity begins with Penei Sewell.
Petzing pointed to Sewell as the player capable of holding the rest of the offensive line accountable.
“We have players in that room, Penei specifically, who will hold their teammates to that standard,” Petzing said. “He does it at such a high level.”
Sewell’s value goes beyond his individual blocking.
He finishes plays. He runs toward the football. He establishes the type of effort younger linemen are expected to match.
With Detroit changing pieces along its offensive front, Sewell’s example becomes even more important. The Lions do not need every lineman to play exactly like him.
They need every lineman to understand what the standard looks like.
You must be registered for see images attach
Petzing Will Build Around Detroit’s Best Concepts
Being multiple does not mean abandoning the plays Detroit already executes well.
Petzing wants variety built around a reliable foundation.
“You have to be good at what you’re good at, and you have to find different ways to do it,” Petzing said.
That may be the key to the entire offense.
Detroit can run the same core concept from different formations, motions and personnel groupings. The presentation changes. The underlying assignment remains familiar.
That allows the Lions to create complexity for the defense without creating confusion for their own players.
The best offenses often look expansive to opponents and simple to the people executing them.
Petzing appears to be chasing that balance.
The Offense Will Evolve From Week to Week
Petzing does not intend to lock Detroit into an August identity and carry it unchanged through January.
The personnel, opponent and matchup will shape the weekly plan.
“As we get closer to the end of camp, we’ll begin shifting into more of a game-planning mindset,” Petzing said. “We’ll ask who we’re playing, what fronts they use, where the key matchups are and how we can exploit them.”
For now, the Lions remain focused on themselves.
“Right now, the focus remains on improving who we are and complementing that with some of those additional elements,” Petzing said.
That is the natural order.
Detroit must first establish what it can execute consistently. Once that foundation is solid, Petzing can begin shaping the offense around each opponent.
Bottom Line
Drew Petzing wants the Detroit Lions to become physical, tough, multiple and difficult to predict.
The offense will not belong exclusively to Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown or any single formation. Personnel groupings will change. Touches must be earned. The weekly game plan will follow the matchups.
One expectation will remain constant.
Detroit must play with force.
Petzing is not trying to reinvent the Lions’ offensive identity. He is trying to restore its physical edge while giving defenses more problems to solve.
That combination could make Detroit far more dangerous than an offense built around one player, one package or one way to win.
Continue reading...
