The Grey Area: Drew Petzing Named OC - Detroit Lions Podcast

A surprise hire and a locked-down search

The Detroit Lions named Drew Petzing their offensive coordinator, and almost no one saw it coming. Allen Park kept airtight operational security. No leaks. No whispers about interviews. Then the news hit. Reaction came fast. Arizona corners of Reddit and Twitter called it a mistake that could cost Dan Campbell his job. Hot takes piled up. The Detroit Lions Podcast pushed back on the rush to judgment. Skepticism is fair. Certainty is not.

Why Petzing, and why now

Michael Grey laid out the tension. After the John Morton experience and what went down with Anthony Lynn, a healthy dose of skepticism is earned. Petzing’s resume does not blow you away. That is the rub. If Campbell steps to the podium and says this hire checks every box, that he wants to build an offense with this coach at the helm, then the path is clear. If you believe it, you do it. Still, the question hangs in the air: with this Detroit Lions offense built to run like a supercar, was this the driver you had to have today? The staff could have waited. The staff could have chased a coordinator with a more proven track record. Instead, they chose their guy now.

What Arizona tendencies say

The show pointed to a graphic on 2024 receiving yards by route. When the Arizona Cardinals offense was healthy, Marvin Harrison led the league in crossing-route yards. The screen game was also a featured piece under Petzing. That lands with a thud in Detroit after a rough year for screens. It still offers clues. Expect crossing concepts. Expect screens. Expect a clear identity when it’s rolling. There was another wrinkle. The Cardinals’ offense fell off before James Conner got hurt. The loss of offensive line coach Clayton Adams, who left for Dallas, was felt. In Detroit, that underscores how vital Hank Fraley is to everything the Lions do up front.

Campbell’s bet and the personnel hints

The hosts kicked around possible shifts to more 12 and 13 personnel. That would track with a physical approach and a coordinator willing to lean into tight ends. Maybe Petzing in Arizona had a tough hand. Kyler Murray’s situation. Bidwell ownership. All of it. Maybe the fit in Detroit unlocks more. Maybe not. The Detroit Lions Podcast kept it honest: no doom calls, no instant coronations. Just questions and concrete markers to watch. Campbell will have to own this hire. He will call Petzing collaborative and one of their guys. Then the work starts. Scheme must meet personnel. Crossing routes must become explosives. Screens must stop being giveaways. The NFL does not wait. Neither will Detroit.

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