You've probably seen the stat. You might have even looked it up yourself. It's been bouncing around the internet since the end of the Lions' season as a snapshot of an offense that lost its way: Detroit was held under 100 rushing yards in seven games this year, and lost all seven. The Lions had four such games the prior two seasons combined.
Here's some further context, which will eventually bring us to Detroit's new offensive coordinator. From 2023 to 2024, only the Ravens were held under 100 rushing yards in fewer games (one) than the Lions. After that, the 49ers (six games), Eagles (seven), Bills (eight) and Cardinals (eight) had the most stable rushing attacks, at least by the simple standard outlined above.
The Lions, Eagles, Ravens, Bills and 49ers combined for eight division titles and 13 playoff wins over that stretch. The 49ers reached the Super Bowl in 2023 at Detroit's expense, the Eagles won it in 2024. The Cardinals were the only team in the group with a losing record, undone by inconsistency and injuries at quarterback and a defense that was never better than meh at best. With Drew Petzing running the offense, the Cardinals averaged more yards per carry (5.2) for those two seasons than every NFL team but the Ravens.
Now, Petzing is taking the reins of the offense in Detroit. After interviewing several candidates including everyone's favorite target, Mike McDaniel, Dan Campbell went with one of the only unreported names on the Lions' list. The assumption is that Petzing will call plays in Detroit, as he did in Arizona, after Campbell took that duty from John Morton midway through this season and looked overwhelmed, at times, on game days.
Petzing's final season with the Cardinals did not go well, with injuries again playing a major role, but he does have a record of demonstrated success as an NFL coordinator and play-caller -- particularly in the area of the game that matters most to Campbell and the Lions' offense. Morton, a specialist in the passing game, did not.
Toward the end of this season, with the Lions stumbling toward a 9-8 record, their rushing attack staggered, their physicality fading, their overall identity in question, Campbell was asked about facing some potentially uncomfortable decisions this offseason. He said that with eight new coaches on staff and two new coordinators, "Does that mean we just need to get some things in sync and we buy a little more time? Or is it not salvageable?"
"Same thing with players," he said. "Yes, we have more talent. Are we the same team we were in 2022 at the end of that year? You gotta start asking yourselves. And if not, why? What is it about that? There’s all kinds of things. But listen, anytime you fall below your own standards — and certainly, we didn’t get in the playoffs — it’s a disappointment. So it’s going to be uncomfortable, and it should be uncomfortable."
The uncomfortable move for Campbell was the right one, reversing the comfortable hire he made last offseason. Campbell and Morton were familiar with each other from coaching together in New Orleans and Detroit. Campbell and Petzing are not. Their closest connection might be Morton's predecessor Ben Johnson, a friend of Petzing going back to their early coaching days at Boston College. But Campbell is familiar with Petzing's approach to offense. To wit: Run The Damn Ball.
Prior to facing the Cardinals early last season, Campbell raved about their offense, especially the multiplicity of their run game. This was a trademark of Detroit's offense under Johnson. NFL coaches always talk up the opponent in the lead-up to a game. But Campbell sounded genuinely impressed with the Cardinals' ability to "play big-boy ball," starting with an "in-your-face" and "downhill" rushing attack that set up the play-action pass. Sound familiar?
Aaron Glenn, the Lions' defensive coordinator at the time, had a similar take on Petzing's offense, noting that "in passing situations he does a really good job of continuing to run the ball, so you have to really play true," another signature of Johnson when the Lions were running roughshod over their opponents for two years.
"This is not a team where you can just say, 'OK, we’re putting in our pass defense,' and then they’ll gut you by running the ball in those situations because they really feel good about their run game," said Glenn. "And you hear those guys talk, I like the mentality that they have. We have to make sure we match or exceed the mentality that they have as far as being tough. But they’re not getting away from the run."
The Lions met Glenn's challenge and were one of the only teams last season to contain the Cardinals on the ground. For two and a half years, dating back to the start of their surge in 2022, the Lions were tied with the Chiefs for the best record in the NFL because they owned the trenches on both sides of the ball. They established the run, and they stopped the run. That's the team that Campbell wants to reprise. That's why Petzing is here.
The next step for the Lions is the most important: fix the offensive line. If they restore it to a strength, especially on the interior, Petzing should thrive, with a sharp quarterback and one of the deepest cast of weapons in the NFL. If they don't, it's not impossible that Campbell could go down with him. Indeed, this is a potentially tenure-defining move for Campbell, who's whiffed twice when importing offensive coordinators, starting with Anthony Lynn. Can he afford to strike out? In that way, Brad Holmes will dictate the outcome of this hire as much as Campbell himself. Adding a veteran center feels like a must.
Petzing's offense regressed badly in 2025 amid injuries to quarterback Kyler Murray, top running backs James Conner and Trey Benson, and four starting offensive linemen. Quarterbacked for most of the season by Jacoby Brissett, the Cardinals sunk from sixth in the NFL in yards per play to 19th. And with fellow replacements Michael Carter and Bam Knight leading the backfield, they fell from second in yards per carry to 16th, and from seventh in total rushing yards to 31st, averaging about 50 fewer yards per game on the ground.
Petzing and the Cardinals also appeared to miss former offensive line coach Klayton Adams, who left to become offensive coordinator of the Cowboys. This should not be dismissed. Adams, by all accounts, played a key role in Arizona's run game the prior two seasons and instantly sparked that of the Cowboys. It's fair to wonder if the Cardinals would've weathered their attrition this season a little more smoothly with Adams in the building.
It naturally feels significant that Petzing already has a relationship with Lions' offensive line coach and run game coordinator Hank Fraley, having coached alongside him in Minnesota from 2014-16. Two of those seasons came under then-Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner, a longtime proponent of the power run game and a vertical play-action passing game. Kevin Stefanski was also part of those offensive staffs and eventually brought Petzing with him to the Browns when he took over in Cleveland.
At the time, Stefanski called Petzing "one of the smartest coaches I’ve been around," pointing to his diverse offensive background. This is also something about Petzing that likely appealed to Campbell and stands in relative contrast to Morton, who has spent almost all of his career majoring in the pass game. His limitations in the run game did not help the Lions overcome a weakened offensive line this season. Does a recommitment to pounding the rock compel David Montgomery to stick around?
Like Johnson, and Stefanski, Petzing rose to his role as a coordinator by wearing myriad offensive hats across several years in the NFL. That included multiple seasons coaching quarterbacks and tight ends, arguably the two most involved positions in the game. His experience in the tight ends room surely played a role in Trey McBride's rise into one of the top players at the position over Petzing's tenure in Arizona. Petzing will inherit another star tight end in Detroit in Sam LaPorta, who should be expected to do big things next season at full health.
There are knocks against Petzing's time with the Cardinals, no doubt. Just ask their fans. His play-calling came under fire at times, especially this season in relation to top receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., whose numbers regressed after a strong rookie year. Petzing deployed a lot of heavy offensive personnel, which does jibe with Campbell's preference for using multiple tight ends but might not mesh as well with a roster in Detroit that features a trio of significant investments at receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa.
But assuming the Lions bolster their offensive line this offseason, there's really no reason to worry about the passing attack. Jared Goff is in the prime of his career playing the best football of his life. And with Jahmyr Gibbs touching the ball as often as he does, the Lions' offensive ceiling remains as high as that of any team in the NFL. They scored the fourth most points in the league in a clunky, inconsistent season.
It's their floor that needs to be restored, which starts by running the ball, within a versatile scheme, behind a punishing offensive line. That will allow them to stretch the field in ways that dried up this season. From 2024 to 2025, Goff fell from first in the NFL in percentage of play-action drop-backs to 10th, and attempted about 40 fewer play-action passes. The Lions fell from fourth in third-down conversion rate to 20th; the Cardinals ranked in the top 10 each of the last two seasons. Detroit was held under 20 points five times this season, four times the prior two seasons combined.
Campbell loathes watching the playoffs from home. He does it because it's what he deserves, and because it should hurt, but the thought of it almost makes him seethe. After this season's "failure," which is exactly what it was for a team with Super Bowl ambitions, Campbell said that as a competitor you can respond in one of two ways.
"You either just go down in the dumps and you sit in the dirty diaper for a while -- you guys that got kids -- and you just lay there and it’s miserable. Or you change your diaper and you get the hell up and you go," he said. "So, the motivation is respect. You don’t want to go through what you went through again, and you’ll do whatever it takes to not let it happen again. Whatever it takes or you’ll die trying, relative to what we go through in this league.”
Dan Campbell, Drew Petzing and the Detroit Lions will run the ball, dammit, or they just might die trying.