Orlovsky Says Stafford Looking Much More Comfortable In Offense
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - Now armed with 17 games of experience in the offensive system of coordinator Joe Lombardi, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has much higher comfort level with the offense than he did at any point last season, backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky said Wednesday.
Orlovsky described a play Stafford made in Tuesday's practice, which was not open to media, and described how much growth the execution of that play demonstrated.
"We were watching film this morning, and it's a wordy play, and [it's] got a couple different options to it, progression-wise, depending on what their coverage shows you, and Matt got through it like that quick," Orlovsky said. "We were in the meeting this morning, I said, 'Check that out compared to last year,' because it was like he went here, and the ball said don't go there, and he immediately snapped back to our number two guy, and spun it - it was really our number three guy - and spun it perfectly to Calvin in stride.
"We would have never been able to do that last year, not even in December, to be honest with you," Orlovsky continued. "As an offense, we wouldn't have been comfortable enough, the guy pulling the trigger wouldn't have been comfortable enough, to have seen it, okay, let me get here."
Stafford is hardly the only one to look as though he is a great deal closer to mastering the system. Lombardi gave the whole team a solid review when he spoke Wednesday.
"The tempo's better, it's more crisp, guys know where to go, and I think a lot of the second-level thinking that happens when you're running routes and stuff is coming more natural to these guys," Lombardi said. "It's been a lot smoother."
Going into this season, Lombardi has a more thorough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the players on the roster, so he can craft game plans that are more tailored to them. Orlovsky said he has been "incredibly impressed" by how Lombardi takes feedback from Stafford and the other quarterbacks and implements it into his planning.
"There's often times where we'll go to Joe and say, 'Hey, we like it this way,' especially when it comes to Matt ... and Joe's been really, really good at listening, and listening and then applying," Orlovsky said. "He's been as good a guy I've ever been around, coaching-wise, because coaches, there's a chance that, 'Hey, this is the way I've done it,' and he comes from a place that did it as good as anyone ever, so he's been great as far as adjusting and molding stuff to what our guy likes to do."
The way Orlovsky explains the overall situation, it sounds as though players have passed the steepest part of the learning curve as it pertains to the new offense.
"There's so much more of a comfort level," Orlovsky said. "[Quarterbacks coach] Jim Bob [Cooter] could tell you, last year when he would go, 'Hey, what are we running this play out of today?' we would be like, 'I don't even know the play.' Now this year it's a different level, and it gets to be a fun game, and there's so much more of a control."
Lombardi said Stafford's experience and increased familiarity with the offense could result in him taking more shots down the field in the upcoming season. The Lions put a major emphasis on not turning the ball over, and in many regards, they played it safe - successfully, as Stafford's interception numbers dropped drastically from 2013 to 2014.
"I think Matt, to his credit, was careful last year at times, and there times maybe where he could have pulled the trigger where he didn't, being a little bit safer," Lombardi said. "I don't think that's as much just not being willing to or wanting to as much as, 'Hey, I don't have as much time on task with this look as I do now.' So I think he's already thrown some really good balls into some tight windows that you like to see. That helps you be more productive."
One of the questions for the offense is the offensive line; even Stafford has described the group's youth as an element that could be one of his biggest challenges this season. Lombardi agreed a higher experience level would be ideal, but he still likes the players the team has.
"I think it's a smart group, it's a well-coached group, so it's not a huge concern by any stretch," Lombardi said. "When you look at the talent that we have there and how young it is, it makes you feel good about not just this year but years down the road. I think if everyone stays healthy - knock on wood - we've got long-term stability there at the offensive line, which is really good."
Even though Detroit won 11 games last season, the Lions could certainly benefit from better offensive production. Last season the team ranked 22nd in the NFL with 20.1 points per game.
