Teams have had to take unprecedented action in order to prepare for the 2020 NFL season amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Fortunately, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is taking solace in the fact that there is already a sense of familiarity with the offense.
Stafford is heading into his second year under offensive coordinator Darrel Bevell. He admits that getting adjusted to the new scheme offered up its own set of challenges last offseason, via Tim Twentyman of the team's official website:
“I think last year was a big offseason for me and a tough one … Obviously, right as we were starting to do all the OTAs and everything, where we're going to install offense and all of that, Kelly is going through brain surgery and I'm trying to navigate that and learn the offense as best I could.
Stafford added that he is hoping to improve on where he was in the offense last year before the season-ending back injury sidelined him.
“I put a lot of time and effort into that, but at the same time, it's not the same as being there in the meetings and all that. I feel like I had a really good grasp on this offense in the first year and I'm hoping to build on that …
“We want to be a great offense and the first step to it is making sure everyone is on the same page pulling in the same direction … I think we've got that. Hopefully we can continue to grow and get better in year two …
“It doesn't hurt to be in a second year of an offense and not try to learn something new and try to be a rookie quarterback or second-year guy coming in.”
The restrictions placed by the league in response to COVID-19 has kept teams and players alike from conducting business as usual. Fortunately, Detroit is in a position where their key players are already acquainted with the system. This should certainly help pay dividends for their preparation heading into thew 2020 NFL season.
Stafford has good reason to be confident that he will get back on track in Bevell's offense. After all, he had thrown for the fourth-most yards (2,499), second-most touchdowns (19) and posted the fifth-best passer rating (106.0) when he went down in Week 9.
Of course, Stafford dealt with his fair share of speculation this offseason amid rumors that the Lions put him on the trading block. The fact that he recently opted to sell his $6.5 million Bloomfield Township home only added more fuel to the fire before his wife offered clarification.
Regardless, there is no question that the Lions are desperate to spark a potential resurgence in the 2020 campaign and any chance of this team trending upward will need to begin under center with Stafford.
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