Roundtable: Is Jared Goff QB of the future?
Vito Chirco and Adam Strozynski, two members of the Sports Illustrated/All Lions staff discuss issues facing the Detroit Lions at the start of the team’s offseason.
What was your biggest takeaway from the Lions’ 2021 season?
• Chirco: The Lions didn’t belong on the same playing field as a lot of teams this past season, but fought until the final whistle on a weekly basis. It exemplified the relentless nature of their head coach, Dan Campbell.
The team did also have a few bright spots, such as the play of first-year pros Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown. It offers Lions fans hope that better days are ahead for the franchise.
• Strozynski: This rebuild feels like a rebuild. From the top to the bottom, it seems like the Lions realized they couldn’t continue to put band-aids on bullet wounds and try to succeed. So, they hit reset, and they’ve reset hard.
The first 12 games of the year were a reminder of how tough a rebuild is. But, you saw growth from the players, coaches and organization, as the season progressed.
Which player impressed you the most?
• Chirco: Wide receiver AmonRa St. Brown.
As the season progressed, the 2021 fourth-round pick emerged as the Lions’ go-to target in the passing game.
He finished his rookie campaign with six straight games of at least eight receptions, becoming the first rookie in NFL history to accomplish the feat.
He entered the league under the radar, and now will face expectations aplenty moving into 2022.
• Strozynski: Amon-Ra St Brown. He looks like a steal from this previous year’s draft. Safe to say, he was the best wide receiver on this team and most dangerous with the ball.
Did you learn anything about Dan Campbell that gives you hope about the rebuild?
• Chirco: On a positive note, I learned that Campbell is able to command and demand the respect of a locker room. He’s a more-than-competent leader that
should be able to maintain the control of the locker room moving forward, too.
He’s no finished product as an X’s and O’s, in-game manager. But, the hope from both the Lions’ frontoffice brass and fanbase is that he improves upon his in-game decision-making ability in 2022.
• Strozynski: Dan Campbell showed me that the Lions have a plan and if things need to change, he will act quickly.
Everyone was surprised when the first-year head coach demoted offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn and took over play-calling duties. From that point on, the offense had an identity, and though it wasn’t always smooth, it was the right move for this team.
Campbell also showed he can handle the pressure and protect his guys. At one point, it felt like the season was falling apart at the seams. However, Campbell never wavered, and never threw a player or a coach under the bus. These actions bought him favor in the locker room, and he was rewarded with a team that didn’t give up on him.
What is the biggest area of need on this roster?
• Chirco: I would say it’s upgrading the pass-rushing department.
The Lions recorded just 1.76 sacks per game in 2021, the third-worst average in the NFL.
The organization can aid its pass-rushing unit in a big-time fashion by drafting either Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux or Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson at No. 2 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Both are supremelygifted EDGE defenders that excel in getting after the quarterback.
And, getting either of them would go a long way toward fixing the team’s issues from a pass-rushing perspective.
• Strozynski: There are so many, but if I have to pinpoint one, I’d say linebacker. The linebacking play was rough most of the season, and the unit that could help out the secondary and defensive line the most would benefit from the addition of some studs to round out the front-seven.
I’m talking about guys that can get pressure on the quarterback and can drop into coverage, so that the team doesn’t get scorched by a third-string tight end in a big game.
How can Jared Goff take the next step in his career?
• Chirco: To me, simply be more consistent.
No ifs, ands or buts about it, he flat-out stunk through the first 12 weeks of the 2021 campaign.
After that and really after Campbell took over the offensive play-calling duties from Anthony Lynn, he showed signs of progression, and really started to click with his receivers, specifically St. Brown.
Goff needs to look more like he did from Week 13 on, in order for Detroit to be competitive on a weekly basis next season.
• Strozynski: Get him a wide out that can get separation downfield. As good as St. Brown is, he isn’t the speedster down field that takes the top off the defense or demands a double-coverage look.
Getting a player like that opens up the middle and underneath routes, as well as gives Goff a downfield target. Adding a wideout he is comfortable with helped this offense, as the midseason addition of Josh Reynolds gave Goff confidence in the passing game. Getting a guy who poses a threat downfield will help Goff all the way around.