One of the big keys to the Detroit Lions offensive success in 2022 came courtesy of an impressive setup on first-down run plays. The ability to reliably churn out decent yardage when running the ball on first downs helped set up QB Jared Goff and the offense to open up the playbook on second and third downs instead of chasing tougher conversions.
The Lions ran the ball 216 times on 1st-and-10 in 2022, according to the NFL’s own statistics. Detroit ran for 4.9 yards per attempt on those 216 attempts on 1st-and-10, netting 1,059 yards.
The 4.9 YPC figure on 1st-and-10 ranked ninth in the league. The 1,059 yards finished 8th. Both are superior rankings to the Lions total rushing ranks overall. Detroit finished 11th in total rushing yards and 15th in yards per carry for the season. Keep in mind those total figures factor in short-yardage runs, where the Lions were near the top in both attempts and success rate.
Just to add a little detail on how impressive Detroit’s first-down rushing was in 2022, the top three teams in YPC on 1st-and-10 were Baltimore (5.61), Buffalo (5.41) and Chicago (5.14). Those teams all have quarterbacks who are their primary running threats. Detroit has Jared Goff, who ran 10 times for 26 yards on 1st-and-10.
And because I know you’re wondering, the three teams at the bottom:
Steelers – 3.83 YPC
Rams – 3.79
Buccaneers – 3.62
It’s not surprising all three of those teams dedicated considerable draft and/or free agent resources to the offensive line and running back spots.
The Lions did swap out the top of the running back depth chart, and that leaves the lofty ranking on 1st-and-10 somewhat questionable for 2023. D’Andre Swift averaged 5.7 YPC on his 45 reps on 1st-and-10, while Jamaal Williams hit 4.8 YPC on 121 attempts. David Montgomery replaces the Williams role, coming over from the Bears. Montgomery averaged just 3.6 YPC on 81 attempts for Chicago on 1st-and-10 in 2022. Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs is coming up from college, so his ability on 1st-and-10 is strictly speculative.
Fortunately for the Lions, the offensive line returns four starters and the fifth, RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai, was a good run blocker while starting in that spot in 2021. The Lions should be able to stay in the top 10 in both 1st-and-10 metrics, barring injuries.
