The Detroit Lions finished last in the NFC North in 2025 after failing to meet lofty preseason expectations. One of the reasons for this was the offense's play under first-year offensive coordinator John Morton, who was subsequently fired and replaced by Drew Petzing.
Despite not being the flashiest name on the coaching carousel this offseason, the more fans learn about Petznig and his approach to running an offense, the more excited fans should be getting about the prospects of what their new OC can do with the weapons at his disposal in Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, and David Montgomery, to name a few.
Goff, in particular, should be very happy to hear what former Lions draft pick Ameer Abdullah had to say about the "mastermind" Detroit has hired to run the show on offense, after working alongside Petzing for a pair of seasons during their time with the Minnesota Vikings. Despite being sacked a career-high 38 times during the 2025 campaign, Goff seems likely to enjoy a 2026 season that features fewer hits on the signal-caller while he's in the pocket.
Petzing's Focus on Timing Will Benefit Jared Goff During 2026 Campaign
Having your starting quarterback sacked, on average, more than two times per game is typically not a recipe for success for any team, and it wasn't for the Lions this past year. Given the level of competition in the NFC North, the margin for error is incredibly slim; one slip-up can quickly send you from the penthouse to the outhouse, as Detroit found out last season.
Fortunately, this seems to be a forte of Petzing's skill set as an offensive coach. During a recent interview with Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, transcribed by Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit, Abdullah praised Petzing for his focus on timing, as Goff will be put in situations where he can quickly make a decision and deliver the ball where it needs to be.
”It’s about timing with Drew," Abdullah replied. "Drew understands it about spots. It’s not about where you are at a given time. I think you’ll see a lot of that in the offense where guys will be thrown in an anticipatory space, thrown open a lot more.”
“You’re getting a guy who is really surgical about making sure guys are on their cues with timing. I remember Kirk Cousins during those years had some of his best and most productive years playing the position of quarterback, and I think Drew was definitely a conduit of that.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Goff's average time-to-throw was 2.57 seconds, which ranked 39th out of 43 eligible quarterbacks. Improved offensive line play, especially on the interior, would help a lot in this regard, so, too, would a coach who, like Petzing, wants to get the ball out of Goff's hands quickly after he takes a snap.
One player who would certainly love the opportunity to be thrown into open spots is Jameson Williams. His game-changing speed and athleticism can be put to use in a variety of ways by Petzingwith this style of offensive philosophy, which is an exciting prospect for Lions fans throughout the Motor City.