It’s one other primetime sport for the Detroit Lions in Week 7, as they settle into the comfortable confines of Ford Area, welcome in 65,000 followers, and host the NFC-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If the Lions need to enter their bye week with some optimistic momentum, they’ll have to observe the offensive keys to victory specified by this week’s Honolulu Blueprint.
For an in depth have a look at the opposing scheme, be sure you try our complementary breakdown piece: Lions Week 7 Preview: Breaking down Bucs’ offensive and defensive schemes.
2 offensive keys to victory
This week’s Honolulu Blueprint has six keys to victory, two on the defensive facet of the ball and one other 4 on offense. We beforehand mentioned the Lions’ two defensive keys to victory, and this piece acts as a complementary article to finish the complete image.
Key 3: Duo and double groups
Buccaneers nostril sort out Vita Vea is an issue. He’s huge (6-foot-4, 347 kilos), fast, sturdy, and contours up as near the soccer as he can. Previously, the Lions have tasked All-Professional Frank Ragnow with blocking him, however with the Lions’ former heart now retired, they’ll want a brand new sport plan.
“He’s a great participant. Look, the scale is one factor, however his quickness to get off the ball, he’s obtained explosiveness, and he’s obtained actually good ft,” Lions coach Dan Campbell stated of Vea earlier this week. “Once you’re a person that huge and you may transfer like he strikes, then (as an offensive lineman) you’ve obtained to do all the things proper. You’ve obtained to play with leverage, you’ve obtained to have the get-off of your life. We have now double groups; we’ve obtained to have the ability to match the double groups collectively. [..] We’ve obtained to be locked in on each stinking play and we’ve started working collectively.”
As Campbell stated, double-teaming Vea is probably the most logical technique, and the Lions ought to refer again to how they handled Ravens’ Travis Jones as a information. In opposition to Baltimore, the Lions deployed various sorts of double groups in opposition to Jones to be able to trigger him issues each in cross safety and with their speeding assault.
In cross safety, the Lions have to prioritize solidifying the inside and work their means out on this matchup. The energy of the Lions’ offensive line lies with their offensive tackles, so doubling up inside and leaving Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker (who’s trending in direction of enjoying) in one-on-ones offers the Lions the very best likelihood for fulfillment.
Within the run sport, the Lions deploy an outdoor zone blocking scheme round 58% of the time, adopted by Duo 31%, and Hole ideas simply 11% of the time. In opposition to the Ravens’ line of defense, the Lions leaned closely on Duo, and Detroit ought to take an identical method in opposition to the Bucs and Vea. This technique will permit the Lions to proceed their double-Vea method, whereas additionally benefiting from the Bucs’ tendencies to surrender speeding yards earlier than contact.
Right here’s an excerpt from Subsequent Gen on the “yards earlier than contact” benefit the Lions ought to have:
“Lions working backs have averaged 1.6 yards earlier than contact per carry this season, the Third-highest mark within the league […] Whereas the Buccaneers have allowed the Eighth-most yards earlier than contact per carry to working backs (1.1).”
Not solely do the Lions get vital yards earlier than contact with Duo, however their working backs “success price” can also be noticeably increased on this idea. In accordance with Sumersports, Gibbs’ success price behind Duo is 53.57%, in comparison with 44.68% in outdoors zone, whereas Montgomery’s breakdown is 55.56% vs. 37.5%, additionally favoring Duo.
Whereas this consideration to the inside can go away you uncovered to perimeter stress and in opposition to the blitz, the Lions are designed to function this fashion, and are the most effective groups within the NFL vs. the blitz.
The Bucs are one of the crucial efficient blitzing groups within the NFL, and coach Todd Bowles will convey and simulate stress from everywhere in the discipline. Coming into this sport, the Bucs blitz 35.5% of the time (fourth most), resulting in stress on 56.6% of their blitz makes an attempt, and accounting for 47 of their 101 crew pressures (third).
The Bucs’ blitz might be stifling, and certainly one of their greatest benefits is that they catch groups off guard with their creativity. Bowles will blitz the A-gap along with his linebackers, overload edges, use alternative blitzing, drop his edge rushers into protection, and isn’t afraid to convey the warmth along with his defensive backs (on 20.9% of blitzes, most within the NFL).
Nonetheless, the Lions needs to be ready to offset the Bucs’ creativity, as these two groups have confronted off 3 times up to now two seasons and are very conversant in one another. Tampa Bay will definitely have new wrinkles deliberate, however Detroit is keenly conscious of that based mostly on their expertise enjoying in opposition to them.
Moreover, Lions quarterback Jared Goff has been constantly profitable in opposition to defenses once they blitz, recording the best passer ranking within the NFL (137.1) and completion share (77.1%) within the NFL, whereas additionally checking in with the second-best EPA per play (0.56).
“He’s a veteran man. And he research, man. This man works his butt off,” Lions offensive coordinator John Morton stated of Goff’s capability to diagnose and regulate to the blitz. “He’s like a coach, and it’s actually cool if you’ve obtained a man – the set off, he’s like that. He’s like a coach. It makes it a lot simpler. And he’s seen loads of ball. That’s the explanation he’s so good. He’s not solely good on the blitz, he’s good at all the things proper now to me. I imply, who throws virtually 80 p.c (completion share) virtually each sport? So, it’s a tribute to him.”
Key 5: Beat the press, YAC the zone
With the quantity of blitzing that the Bucs do, they take a singular method to protection to enrich their method. Like most blitz-heavy groups, they deploy loads of zone protection (70+% of the time) to make the most of quarterback errors. Nonetheless, to additional complicate this for quarterbacks, the Bucs additionally prefer to press their corners, forcing vast receivers a slower path to getting open within the hopes of giving their blitz sufficient time to get house.
Within the earlier three conferences, the Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown connection has been the first weapon to assault the Bucs’ defensive method. Over this time interval, Goff has averaged 315.67 passing yards per sport vs. the Bucs, with a 3rd of his manufacturing going to St. Brown, who’s averaging 106.7 receiving yards per sport. When Goff wants a fast cross to get forward of the blitz, St. Brown is often his first learn. St. Brown additionally excels in opposition to zone protection and has a knack for locating delicate spots and producing yards after the catch.
One of many important causes St.Brown has excelled vs. the Bucs is his capability to beat the press. Right here’s an excerpt from Subsequent Gen on this subject:
“Amon-Ra St. Brown has confronted press protection (1 yard or much less) on 17.0% of routes this season, the best price in his NFL profession. Although St. Brown has not confronted press protection as steadily as different Lions receivers, he leads the crew with 9 receptions on 11 targets in opposition to press, leading to 91 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Matchup: The Buccaneers have pressed receivers on the Tenth-highest price within the league (25.5%), permitting 7.8 yards per goal when doing so, under the league common (8.2).”
When the Bucs have devoted additional our bodies to account for St. Brown, the Lions have been inventive in that includes their different offensive weapons, concentrating on between eight and 10 completely different ability gamers in every matchup, with the second possibility various based mostly on the defensive method. Within the final two conferences between these groups, Gibbs has caught a complete of 11 passes in opposition to the Bucs, whereas Montgomery has reeled in seven. Of their 2024 matchup, Jameson Williams was the second best ability participant, hauling in 5 catches for 79 yards, whereas Sam LaPorta delivered in that function within the 2023 playoffs, registering 9 receptions for 65 yards.
The Lions have had most of their offensive success attacking the intermediate components of the sphere, which has been a susceptible space for the Bucs of late. Their linebackers have struggled in protection recently (particularly in opposition to play-action), and the gaps behind the linebackers and in entrance of the safeties have been out there. When offenses have been capable of hit on these zones, there have been alternatives for yards after the catch (YAC).
Coming into this sport, the Lions have produced 755 YAC in 2025 (sixth most), whereas the Bucs have allowed 796 YAC (twenty eighth). In accordance with Subsequent Gen, this could possibly be one other alternative for LaPorta to take benefit, as 56.8% of his manufacturing has been YAC:
“Sam LaPorta has generated 184 yards after the catch, probably the most amongst Lions ability place gamers and the Third-most amongst all tight ends. Moreover, LaPorta has compelled 6 missed tackles, tied for the Third-most amongst tight ends.”
Whereas all of the “keys to victory” mentioned this week might be necessary elements on this sport, none could also be extra necessary than purple zone scoring. The Lions have received two of their three matchups with the Bucs through the Campbell period, and within the one sport they misplaced, their purple zone effectivity was a dreadful 1 for 7, with simply 14% effectiveness.
Luckily for the Lions, this can be one other space wherein they might have a bonus on this matchup. Via six video games, the Bucs protection has allowed groups to attain a landing on 68.75% of purple zone possessions (twenty eighth within the NFL). Conversely, the Lions offense has scored a landing on 74.07% of their purple zone journeys (fourth greatest within the league). Within the Lions’ two losses, they have been two of six (33.3%) within the purple zone, whereas scoring a landing on 18 of 21 purple zone journeys of their 4 wins.
In a sport the place the Bucs’ offense, led by quarterback Baker Mayfield, ought to have some benefits over an injured Lions’ defensive secondary, Detroit’s offense has to ship once they get their alternatives.
