Coordinator recap: Offensive silver linings, Arnold's adjustment, a vote against using spy and more

The Lions couldn’t get their run game clicking the way they wanted to against the Buccaneers. (Getty Images)

Allen Park — Despite the loss, the Detroit Lions have found several silver linings from the team’s Week 2 performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That extends to the offense, which mustered just 16 points because of well-documented red zone struggles.

“We actually had more winning grades as individuals than we had the week prior, so, just like coach (Dan Campbell) is saying, our focus is on getting better. Individually, that certainly happened as an offense. We moved the ball better, we didn’t have the three-and-outs that we had Week 1, but clearly, we didn’t finish the drives like we needed to.”

Johnson particularly focused on the team’s run-game struggles, both in the red zone and in the second half.

“We either had a 3-yard, a 0-yard, a -4-yard gain, or a holding for minus-10, and we were going backward more than we were going forward in terms of the run game. So (that's) something that we’ve leaned heavily on there in the past down in the red area, and it wasn’t clicking quite the same last week for whatever reason.

The Lions threw heavily throughout the contest, something Johnson confirmed was designed, using the short pass to mimic the run game like they had done against the Buccaneers last season. Adding to that, Johnson said it was difficult to stay on schedule when seven first- and second-down runs in the fourth quarter netted just 3 yards.

Johnson said with the way Detroit's offense is built, there’s no benefit in continuing to bang your head against a wall when something isn’t working.

“ I know the o-line loves to run the ball and I told (center) Frank (Ragnow) — he’s asking for us to lean on him in the run game — well, first-and-10 goes for zero, second-and-10, we go for three, and now it’s a third-and-7 and we’re off schedule again.

“So it’s a two-way street there,” Johnson said. “I want to call runs, (but) we need some production out of them. And, as I said last week, that’s the beauty about what we do here on offense is we believe we can beat teams any number of ways. If that means run it 50 times, great. If that means throw it 50 times, great. It does not matter to us.

A needed tweak?

The NFL’s new dynamic kickoff rule was brought into existence for two purposes. First, the league wanted to make kickoffs relevant again after a league-worst 73% touchback rate in 2023, including zero getting returned out of 13 in the Super Bowl.

The other stated objective was to improve starting field position for offensives, hoping to stem the slight decline in scoring from 2022 to 2023.

But what we’re seeing through two weeks is only a modest increase in returns, thanks to the minimal starting field position between the average return and the new, more punitive touchback bringing the ball out to the 30-yard line.

The original variant of the kickoff rule, which was inspired by the XFL, had touchbacks coming out to the 35-yard line, but that was nixed in favor of the 30-yard touchback at the league meetings in March prior to implementation.

Believing coaches prefer the play matter, I asked Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp if he hopes the league reconsiders touchbacks coming out further next offseason. He offered an additional variant that could help.

“I hope they incentivize the kick cover team more than they’re incentivized right now, for sure,” Fipp said.” I think one way to do that is by moving the touchback to the 35, but another way to do that is also to push the coverage group up 5 yards forward.”

That’s a great idea and one I hadn’t considered, but it likely negates the league’s effort to improve starting field position and, subsequently, scoring. It’s not a secret the NFL prioritizes offense above the other facets of the game.

Still finding his way

Rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold is having a predictably up-and-down start to his first season. According to data tracked by Pro Football Focus, he’s been targeted in coverage 13 times and surrendered 11 receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown. That’s in addition to being flagged for three pass inference infractions, including two in the end zone and the third on a deep ball.

Noticeably, Arnold has had his biggest struggles in zone coverage, giving up longer completions to Cooper Kupp, Mike Evans and a 41-yard touchdown to Chris Godwin. It’s not that Arnold is new to zone concepts, having played them plenty at Alabama, but each team has slightly different rules within their scheme, resulting in an acclimation period.

“I just think, in general as a defensive back, it just takes time,” defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s zone, man, it’s just the rules are different.

“…The thing is, I have the ultimate confidence in that player and I’m good with him learning as we go through this process,” Glenn continued. “He’s going to be a damn good player for us.”

Arnold has been out the first two days of practice this week with an illness, so his status for Sunday’s game in Arizona remains up in the air. Regardless, Glenn did mention the rookie having to cover first-year sensation Marvin Harrison Jr.

Asked how he viewed his two outside corners, Arnold and veteran Carlton Davis III, in the game-planning process, Glenn doesn’t put one above the other.

“1A and 1AA. There you go.”

Shared blame

Campbell took the blame for the end-of-half confusion against Tampa that saw the field-goal unit run out on to the field while the offense was trying to stop the clock with a spike, raising questions about Fipp’s culpability with the blunder.

Fipp was careful not to override Campbell’s earlier comments, but acknowledged feeling he shared the blame for the Lions losing out on a critical three points before the break. 

“There’s a lot that goes into those situations,” Fipp said. “Like I said to the players, those things are not a big deal until, all of a sudden, they’re a huge deal, all these situational plays like that. …The only thing I will say is any time I’m a part of something, I definitely feel a responsibility for not getting the job done, so I take a lot of the responsibility for that also.”

Getting acquainted

Regarding Tim Patrick’s implementation into the offense, Johnson laughed it off as having to find targets for another option when the team is already dealing with questions about Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta having down days.

Still, the 6-foot-4 Patrick should give the Lions a different flavor to attack an opponent, presumably. Johnson noted the team is still trying to figure out what the relative newcomer does best.

“Yeah, he’s a red zone threat, I guess,” Johnson said. “He’s got some length in the red zone, but we’re still learning each other right now. He hasn’t been here for super long to where we know exactly what his best routes are, but we’re moving him around and he’s growing that trust here with (quarterback) Jared (Goff) every single day.”

To spy or not to spy

One of the things the Lions are trying to figure out with their game plan this week is how to keep dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray contained to the pocket.

Just don’t expect the defense to deploy a second-level spy.

“Did you see Buffalo do it?” Glenn countered. “What happened? I’m asking. We have to do a really good job keeping him contained. That could be quarterback spy, that could be rushing five, that can be rushing six. The fact of the matter is, you have to keep him contained, and I know that’s the in-vogue thing that everyone talks about, quarterback spy, quarterback spy. I wish you guys would actually look at the film and see what happens when that happens, for the most part.”

Murray did break contain a handful of times against the Bills, gaining 57 yards on five runs. On the other hand, the opponent sacked him four times in their victory.

Of course, this isn’t the first time a current Lions coach has criticized the usage of a spy in the defensive game plan. Linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard got animated about the topic in 2022.

“You show me tape where the spy stuff works,” Sheppard said. “What you do is you waste a defender when you operate like that, and you’re playing prevent defense in a sense. Show me where a spy has tackled (Jalen) Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray in open space. So, to each his own. Whatever you believe in, but I’ve seen that get torched on the college level and the NFL level.”

Murray ran a 4.44-second, 40-yard dash coming out of college, so Glenn and Sheppard have a point, in the sense of whoever they asked to spy Murray from the second level would probably not be fast enough to get an angle on the QB when he breaks contain.

Better than ever

The ongoing evolution of NFL placekicking is at a new peak to start this season as teams have converted on 35-of-39 field goals from 50 yards and beyond through two weeks.

Leave it to Fipp to be a little skeptical, but to also back up that skepticism with data.

“I think every year it kind of goes up just a little bit and guys get better and better, which is probably reflective of every phase of the game,” Fipp said. “I know that the 50 numbers are obviously highly accurate right now. Probably the biggest comment I would have on that is just sample size, small sample size. (It) is going to change before the end of the season. The numbers in the 40's are a lot lower than the 50's right now. You can't tell me that a 40-yard kick’s harder than a 50-yard kick.”

To this point, the Lions haven’t contributed to the parade of long kicks. Newcomer Jake Bates is perfect on the year, but with a long of 35. Still, the Lions know he has the ability to kick from distance when called upon.

“I think it obviously helps the offense quite a bit to know that you have a guy who can hit it from further back there, especially in situations late in game where you need the points and you’re willing to take some risk to get those points,” Fipp said. “Our guy can certainly do that from back there, so we feel good about that.”

Like father, like son?

While it has zero bearing on Sunday’s matchup, Glenn had quite a bit of success when playing against Marvin Harrison Sr. during their playing careers, intercepting at least one pass against the Colts four times.

“Well, I would say he’s bigger than his dad,” Glenn said. “I don’t think he’s faster than his dad. The same type of movement skills; he’s very elusive, body control, he has all those same skills as his dad.

I’m hoping Terrion does a good job on him, getting a couple of those picks like you’ve seen I got on his dad.”

Injury report

Arnold, cornerback Ennis Rakestraw (hamstring), and safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) remained sidelined during Thursday's practice.

On the plus side of the injury report, linebacker Alex Anzalone (concussion) and guard Graham Glasgow (knee) were back in action during the brief window open to media.