How an Improved Run Game Aids Matthew Stafford

An improved rushing attack puts Matthew Stafford in an ideal situation to maximize his skills.

It is pretty straight-forward. 

With offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell calling the plays for the Detroit Lions, a premium on rushing the football will be atop the list of offensive goals this upcoming season.

With the investment the organization has made to build the offensive line and with the surprise pick of ex-Bulldogs running back D'Andre Swift in the second round, Detroit is poised to finally be able to execute Bevell's plan.

“We’ll always be about running the football,” Bevell said when he was hired by Detroit. “We want to be a tough, hard-nosed, physical football team. We want to be able to exert our will on our opponents.”

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In his first season calling the plays, that was not exactly the case.

Detroit's rushing attack was not able to consistently aid the team, and the knee injury to Kerryon Johnson derailed any hopes of having a running back rushing for over 1,000 yards. 

With an established rushing attack, franchise passer Matthew Stafford will be capable of achieving even more explosiveness in the passing game. 

In the past, Bevell’s offense has focused on utilizing play-action to achieve explosive gains in the passing attack.  

With Stafford, Bevell was able to successfully throw it down the field for gains of over 25 yards consistently. 

If given a proper rushing attack, Stafford's job becomes even easier, and it would aid Detroit in exerting its will over its opponents. 

The Lions would then be able to secure an edge over opposing defenses by forcing them to decide whether to attempt to stop the rush or the pass. 

With the roster comprised as it is, look for Detroit to attempt to rush the football significantly more in 2020 than it did in 2019. 

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