Detroit Lions OC film review, Part I: How did Drew Petzing's ground game function in Arizona?

Who is Drew Petzing?

That’s the question Detroit Lions fans, and frankly, many in the media, asked aloud when reports came out that the team was hiring Petzing to serve as the team’s next offensive coordinator.

For most, Petzing wasn’t on the radar. He didn’t show up on lists of options and wasn’t among the seven candidates reportedly asked to interview for the vacancy. The Lions chose to keep the details of their search in-house, not announcing interviews, so the pending hire — which is expected to be formalized later this week — felt as if it came out of left field.

A closer inspection of Petzing’s background, his offensive philosophies, and successes in 2023 and 2024 has revealed why we shouldn’t have overlooked his candidacy. For a Lions franchise determined to restore its dominance on the ground, Petzing led an offense that finished second in yards per carry both of those campaigns, before early-season injuries robbed the Cardinals of their No. 1 and No. 2 running backs last season.

Here’s what Campbell had to say about Arizona’s offense ahead of a head-to-head matchup in 2024.

“They do multiple things on offense — heavy under center, gap scheme, in your face, downhill with (running back James) Conner,” Campbell said. “Then, certainly, they’ve got pistol, they’ve got gun off of it in the run game, play action, boots, keepers, let (quarterback Kyler Murray) break the perimeter, look downfield for his receivers. (Wide receiver Greg Dortch) 4 is shifty, (wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.) young guy is finding his way in a hurry. So, they’re dangerous over there.”

The Lions handled their business that week, but the Cardinals were competitive much of the year, getting to 6-4 before fading after their bye. The offense, under Petzing’s direction, was particularly encouraging, finishing 11th in yardage, 12th in scoring, and, as noted, among the league’s best at running the ball.

Those raw numbers, paired with Petzing’s age, coaching influences, and ability to bring fresh ideas to Detroit, suggest a potentially encouraging fit.

But numbers rarely tell a complete story. They offer a cursory understanding when news is breaking and rapid reporting is required. Film conveys nuance that statistics can’t. With time to study how Petzing’s teams operate, we should be able to communicate better what his groups have done well, where there’s room for growth, and how it fits the unquestionably richer personnel he’ll inherit in Detroit.

This series will be a multi-part look at Petzing’s Cardinals, starting with the ground game that undoubtedly earned him this opportunity with the Lions.

Before we get started, allow me explain my methodology.

To avoid analysis paralysis, I limited this review to four games. I chose two from late in the 2024 season — vs. New England and at Carolina — when Petzing’s offense was closer to full strength and had established chemistry. Then, from last season, I reviewed the opener against New Orleans — before chemistry could be established, but the roster was in decent health — as well as a Week 11 matchup against divisional rival San Francisco. That helped understand how Petzing adapted to multiple injuries, headlined by the absence of his starting quarterback, No. 1 receiver and top two running backs.

Formations and personnel

Focusing on early downs, the Cardinals used a healthy mix of under-center, shotgun and pistol formations.

The team’s heavier-than-average use of shotgun and pistol was more of a reflection on the team’s quarterback than Petzing, who was tailoring his scheme to his talent. At 5-foot-10, Murray is one of the league’s shortest QBs. Additionally, he was developed in a shotgun-heavy scheme, taking more than 90% of his snaps in those looks during his first three seasons in Kliff Kingsbury’s spread attack.

Petzing introduced more balance to Murray’s alignments, starting at the end of the 2023 campaign and carrying it into 2024. On early-down runs in the four games that we reviewed, under-center and shotgun snaps were nearly even, with the hybrid pistol looks making up approximately 20% of the total.