Seahawks Bracing For Lions 'Special' Run Game, Play Action Attack

One of the top scoring offenses in the NFL a year ago, the Detroit Lions added extra firepower this offseason around Jared Goff, making for a challenging first road matchup for Seattle Seahawks as they push for their first win of 2023.

RENTON, Wash. - From a personnel and schematic standpoint, the Seattle Seahawks may feel like they are game planning for the Los Angeles Rams for a second straight week in many regards as they prepare for their road opener against the Detroit Lions.

Looking at their upcoming opponent, the Seahawks will face a familiar foe in quarterback Jared Goff, who played his first five NFL seasons with the Rams after being selected first overall. On the outside, one of his top receivers in Josh Reynolds caught passes with him in Los Angeles before eventually reuniting with the veteran signal caller as a member of the Lions last season.

In addition to those two former NFC West nemeses, the Lions operate a comparable system to the one deployed by the Rams with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson calling the shots. Last season, according to nfleloapp.com, both teams ranked in the bottom five in the NFL in shotgun snaps on first down, primarily using single back sets under center at a 50 percent or higher clip. They also each posted identical air yards per target (7.0), ranking in the middle of the pack with passing games predicated on attacking the intermediate level.

But while Seattle may see some similar formations, route concepts, and personnel usage from Detroit on film, the rising NFC North contender is far from a carbon copy. After finishing in the top five in scoring offense last season, defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt sees a lot of unique qualities in how Johnson attacks opponents with a great deal of success both in the run and pass game.

"There's some carryover but there's some things obviously they do differently, as well," Hurtt told reporters after Thursday's practice. "Run game they're definitely different with the power run game and then the offensive line and how they try to attack you, so we've got to be ready for that challenge.”

As Hurtt cited, the Lions have one of the NFL's most effective rushing attacks behind a talented offensive line and they wear down opponents relying more on gap schemes than most other teams in today's zone-heavy league. Personnel-wise, they also mix in two-back sets out of 21 personnel more than most teams, including using a fullback or second running back on 26 percent of their snaps against the Chiefs last week.

According to Pro Football Focus, Detroit ranked fifth in the NFL running power concepts last season, frequently pulling guards and tackles as lead blockers to orchestrate a physical, downhill ground game. They also were one of the best red zone rushing teams, led by former starter Jamaal Williams' 16 touchdowns inside the 20.

Detroit only scored two touchdowns on offense against Kansas City, but Jared Goff has a bevy of weapons at his disposal, including a pair of dual-threat running backs in the backfield

This trend continued in Detroit's season-opening upset at Kansas City, as Johnson called 18 gap concepts on 29 run plays. David Montgomery and first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs combined to rush 28 times for 116 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per carry and forcing 10 missed tackles, while Montgomery scored an eight-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that wound up being the game winner.

Thanks to their punishing rushing attack keeping defenses on their heels, Goff and the Lions have been able to establish themselves as one of the league's premier play action passing teams. In 2022, Goff threw an NFL-best 16 touchdowns on play action passes and finished in the top five in yardage and yards per attempt on such plays.

Playing his part in beating the Chiefs, Goff completed six out of 10 play action pass attempts for 113 yards, averaging north of 11 yards per attempt while extending his streak without an interception to 359 passes, the third-longest streak in NFL history. Already familiar with the the quarterback's strengths from playing against him many times, Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner has been impressed by the Lions balance and ability to mesh their run game with their passing game.

“They do a really good job of complementing the run game with their passing game. I think the run game is really special," Wagner remarked. "I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to run it 30 or 40 times. I think [Jared] Goff has done a really good job with his play action and getting the ball to his targets. Last game they did a really good job of establishing the run, getting the ball into his playmaker’s hands. It was a gutty win.”

A year ago, the Seahawks had one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, giving up 150 rushing yards per game and finishing 30th in yards allowed on the ground. With Wagner back in the fold, if there was a bright spot in an otherwise ugly 30-13 loss to the Rams last Sunday, the defense held the opposition to 2.3 yards per carry and demonstrated stark improvements against the run at all three levels.

Understanding that Detroit presents a different beast with its physical ground game and superior offensive line, Wagner wants to see Seattle step up to the plate again to win on early downs and make it tougher for the opposition to lean on its dynamic play action passing game on second and third downs.

“It was really encouraging," Wagner said of the Seahawks' run defense in Week 1. "I think we have the group that can be a really good run defense, but to me, it’s more so about putting it all together.”

Ultimately, like Wagner, Hurtt wants to see Seattle's defense replicate its effort and effectiveness stuffing the run for a second straight week. Playing sound with gap assignments will be critical, especially since Detroit utilizes extensive pre-snap motion to create additional gaps that have to be accounted for in a similar fashion to Los Angeles under McVay. Continuing to tackle well will also be key with Gibbs and Montgomery both being capable of doing damage after contact.

But from the coordinator's perspective, getting the Seahawks pass rush untracked after a dismal first game remains the top priority heading to the Motor City. The team didn't generate a single sack and only had two hits on Matthew Stafford a week ago, allowing the veteran quarterback to carve them up for 326 passing yards on the afternoon. Similar lack of production against the Lions would be a recipe for disaster.

Given Goff's accuracy and precision from the pocket, particularly off play fakes, Seattle has to find a way to get him out of rhythm and force him off his spot consistently, as he isn't known for his mobility or ability to extend plays when they break down. If they are able to be more disruptive collapsing the pocket, Hurtt hopes to see pressure turn into mistakes for Detroit's high octane offense and lead to turnover opportunities for the secondary, which would be a game changer seeking an upset on the road.

"We want to be tight and have a feel and understanding of routes and what's coming, so the same anticipation that the quarterback plays with, we can play with, and at the times that the coverage does a great job of disguising and holding and make him go to the second progression, definitely on the third progression, then as rushers we've got to be there. We've got to at least be able to get him off the spot, and that's the area of big improvement for us that we've got to be better.”