The Detroit Lions made a shocking hire at offensive coordinator earlier this week, bringing in former Arizona Cardinals OC Drew Petzing. The Petzing hire caught many fans off guard, as they wanted to see Detroit hire Mike McDaniel, who is reportedly joining Jim Harbaugh’s staff in Los Angeles.
Petzing isn’t the most flashy name, but he could be the right guy to help get this Lions’ offense back on track in 2026. One of Petzing’s strengths as offensive coordinator is getting the most out of his rushing attack.
Before things went downhill in 2025, the Cardinals ranked fourth in yards per game (139.1) and seventh (144.2) in 2023 and 2024, respectively. This bodes well for Detroit, which has a dynamic duo in the backfield with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.
However, it also benefits rookie offensive lineman Tate Ratledge, as he’s built to wreak havoc in Petzing’s heavy gap scheme.
If you aren’t familiar with a gap scheme, it works well with athletic offensive linemen, as they'll be asked to do lots of pulling and blocking down, creating holes for the running back that you hope will lead to a big play.
Tate Ratledge Is Perfect Player for New Lions OC Drew Petzing's Scheme
This season, Ratledge, who was once viewed as an option at center, played okay at right guard for the Lions.
According to Pro Football Focus, the rookie struggled in pass protection (58.5 grade), which you hope improves in Year 2. However, Ratledge was one of the best run blockers on the team with a 73.5 grade.
The only other player with a higher run blocking grade was Penei Sewell (96.8). Coming out of the University of Georgia, one of Ratledge’s strengths was run blocking.
Ratledge plays with good strength and technique, which allows him to be effective in the run game. According to Pro Football Focus, the first-year lineman earned a 74.7 run blocking grade in his final year with the Bulldogs, ranking him 32nd out of 315 eligible guards with at least 150 run-blocking snaps.
Additionally, of the 901 run blocking snaps Ratledge received at Georgia, 501 were in zone. He plays with the type of physicality, and has the footwork to do a lot of things Petzing could want to do with him in the running game.
There’s not much defenders can do when they see a 6'6", 315-pound offensive lineman running downhill and trying to maul you as he gets into the second level of the opposing team’s defensive line.
Nevertheless, if Petzing can get this running game on track, starting with the offensive line, the Lions could be right back in the mix for the NFC North crown in 2026.