How Lions' top weapons battle ebbs and flows of weekly production
Allen Park —In last Sunday’s 47-9 lopsided victory over the Dallas Cowboys, all the central figures on the Detroit Lions’ offense ate. There was such an abundance of opportunities, the team was able to work multiple offensive linemen into passing plays.
Netting points nine consecutive possessions to open the contest, running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 171 yards from scrimmage. Meanwhile, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and Jameson Williams all snagged scoring passes. Even the newest piece to Detroit’s offensive puzzle, wide receiver Tim Patrick, racked up 68 yards on three receptions, coming up inches short of his own touchdown on the third.
For once, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson didn’t have to sigh and answer a question about why so and so had a reduced role in the week’s game plan. What a relief.
Despite averaging 65.6 offensive snaps per game — the fourth-most in the league — it's rarely enough to feed everyone the way the Lions did against the Cowboys. Because Detroit is blessed with such a loaded arsenal, there's always one, sometimes two weapons who fall shy of expectations in a given week.
In the season opener, it was St. Brown mustering just three catches for 13 yards. A couple weeks later, the Arizona Cardinals flooded the deepest portions of the field, limiting Williams to one grab for 9 yards. And LaPorta, who broke all of the franchise’s receiving records for his position as a rookie last year, has been held to two or fewer receptions in three of Detroit’s five games.
“Last week it was St. Brown, this week it’s LaPorta, next week it’s going to be somebody else,” an irritated Johnson said earlier this season. “That’s just the nature of the beast. That’s what we’ve got right now. We’ve got a lot of weapons and it’s hard to guarantee someone five to eight targets every single game. That’s not how it works.”
If a team is winning, the distribution of production shouldn’t matter. But we live in a world where fantasy football and prop bet parlays are a thing. Those factors are likely what fuel the outside concern and criticism above all else.
That’s not to say the Lions don’t have to be conscientious of the egos in the room. Ask any skill position player and they’ll tell you they want the ball. It’s the nature of the position.
OK, I’ll ask them.