Matthew Stafford insisted the Detroit Lions have not become too predictable on offense after they fell to 0-3 in Sunday night’s loss to the Denver Broncos, but one of his teammates said opposing defenses have started calling out the Lions’ plays.
In his weekly radio interview, receiver Golden Tate said Tuesday that multiple opponents have told him they knew what play the Lions were running on several occasions this year.
“I’ve had a couple occasions in literally each game, where they called out our play for one, and then afterwards been like, ‘Hey, we knew what you guys were doing,’” Tate told the station. “I don’t know how they know or which film they’re watching that we’re giving away, and that’s something we need to go back and watch our tendencies to figure out where we line up or how we line up or what formation — whatever it may be, we’ve got to figure it out because we’re clearly giving away. I mean if three weeks, a player’s come up to me and said, ‘We knew what you were going to do,’ that’s bad.”
Stafford threw two interceptions in Sunday’s 24-12 loss to the Broncos when Denver defenders seemed to make perfect reads on his passes.
Bradley Roby intercepted a pass intended for Tate in the first half Sunday when he left the man he was covering, Lance Moore, shortly after the snap.
In the second half, David Bruton made a one-handed, juggling interception on a pass intended for Calvin Johnson. He told reporters Monday he recognized what was coming by the formation the Lions’ used.
“They’ve had a high tendency of showing a particular play,” Bruton said. “Once I saw the running back chip before his release, I knew what was coming, so I just read Stafford’s eyes and broke on the ball and was able to make a play.”
Asked Sunday whether Roby’s interception was a sign the Lions had become too predictable, Stafford said no.
“That’s like a play we haven’t run all season, so I don’t think it’s predictable,” Stafford said. “I think the kid just made a great play. These guys for the Broncos, they do a good job of playing with their eyes in the backfield, all of them. Play off and jump routes and do that sort of stuff. But it’s the correct place to go with the ball and just guy made a good play.
The Lions rank 27th in total offense, last in rushing offense and are averaging just 14 points over their last two games.
Lions coach Jim Caldwell said Monday he doesn’t have any plans to take away play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi as of now.
“What I think is that it still boils down to execution, to be honest with you,” Caldwell said. “And that’s where I think our issues lie.”
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said last February during Super Bowl week that he could predict 95 percent of the plays in Lombardi’s offense. Lombardi was Brees’ quarterbacks coach from 2009-13.
“Listen, you could watch a Detroit game from this year in front of me right now, I could call 95 percent of the plays,” Brees said. “Absolutely. Probably 70 percent of them before you even hit the play button. Just by looking at the formation, ‘All right, it’s this.’ “
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