During the bye week that conveniently comes at the midway point of the season, we’ll review each Detroit Lions position group.
Major moves in the first half: Signed Garrett Reynolds.
What has worked: This is a tough category to judge because we don’t truly know the blocking schemes and assignments – only that the scheme has changed from last season.
The right side of the offensive line, though, when it is guard Larry Warford and tackle LaAdrian Waddle, has remained strong. Warford may not be playing at the level of his rookie season when he was one of the best guards in the NFL, but he has still been among the better guards in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
When Waddle hasn’t been hurt, he’s been consistent at tackle as well. Both have given up two sacks, according to Pro Football Focus, and have allowed a combined 12 quarterback hurries – less than Rob Sims and Riley Reiff individually on the left side of the line.
As a pass-blocker, Warford is the No. 12 guard in the league, according to PFF and Waddle is the No. 29 tackle.
What has not: Pretty much everything else.
The run blocking has been atrocious – and even when it hasn’t been, the Lions still can’t gain yards. The Lions do not have a single offensive lineman with a positive run-blocking grade, according to PFF, and four of them have a grade below minus-1.0. The Lions are one of the worst rushing teams in the league in part for this reason.
Dominic Raiola, Sims and Reiff have all struggled at points this season. Reiff has allowed 16 hurries, according to PFF, Sims 14 hurries and Raiola four sacks this season, more than any other Lions offensive lineman.
The protection has gotten a little better the past couple of weeks, but Detroit has still allowed 24 sacks in eight games -- one more sack than the Lions allowed in 16 games a year ago. Considering one of the primary jobs for an offensive line is to keep the quarterback upright, this is a major problem.
Oh, and the right tackle duo of =Reynolds and Cornelius Lucas when Waddle has been injured just doesn't work. The Lions, if Waddle is injured again this season, really need to pick one player and roll with him. It will help both that guy -- probably Lucas long term -- and Warford so he has a consistent partner next to him. That makes a difference.
Prognosis: The pass protection has been increasingly better as the past month has gone on, dropping from six sacks against Buffalo to four against Minnesota, three against New Orleans and none against Atlanta on Sunday. So that’s progress.
If the Lions have finally figured out the blocking scheme and how to use it correctly, this could be a boon for quarterback Matthew Stafford and the line in the second half of the season.
The run blocking is another issue and one that doesn’t seem like it’ll be resolved too easily. For whatever reason, the Lions have just been unable to find a consistent run-blocking scheme. And while the off week is a good time for self-scouting for the coaching staff, unless it sees something it's been missing when it has been bad the first eight weeks, it is tough to think something will change.
The benefit there would be if the coaches – and perhaps some players – found a theme in watching games back-to-back that they could then correct.
But the pass protection is still the bigger issue and still has the best chance to make improvements in the second half of the year.