Predicting the stats for the 2023 Detroit Lions offense
The Detroit Lions have the day off, so let's o some time traveling shall we? I went to the future recently and picked up a Gray's almanac to learn what the Lions offense would look like in 2023. after I put some money on the Cubbies, I came back here and started writing this. Ok, […]
The Detroit Lions have the day off, so let's o some time traveling shall we? I went to the future recently and picked up a Gray's almanac to learn what the Lions offense would look like in 2023. after I put some money on the Cubbies, I came back here and started writing this.
Ok, I obviously don't have a time machine. I know you're shocked. You totally believed everything I said in that first paragraph. What I do have is an active imagination. So what I want to do is predict what the stat lines for the Lions offense is going to look like and then we'll come back here at the end of the season and see how close I was.
Let's get started with that man that's throwing the ball.
Passing
| Player | Attempts | Completions | Passing yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jared Goff | 644 | 430 | 4,775 | 36 | 7 |
I'm predicting that Jared Goff goes off in 2023. The biggest reason is that he just has so many players to pass to right now. Specifically players that specialize in the yards after catch statistic. Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta are all more than capable of doing things with the ball after they catch it.
I'm also taking in mind that Amon-Ra St Brown is projected to have a huge year. I know most people will say that the Lions are a running team, but the way they have been drafting makes it look like they are trying to be a balanced offense with a lean towards passing more.
I chose seven interceptions for a reason. I kind of cheated on this one. He's thrown seven interceptions in three of his seven seasons. Why not make it four?
Receiving
| Receiver | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
Amon-Ra St. Brown | 115 | 1,516 | 10 |
Jameson Williams | 55 | 612 | 6 |
Jahmyr Gibbs | 50 | 525 | 5 |
Josh Reynolds | 45 | 543 | 3 |
Kalif Raymond | 44 | 445 | 2 |
Sam LaPorta | 42 | 448 | 5 |
Denzel Mims | 37 | 301 | 2 |
James Mitchell | 20 | 205 | 2 |
Antione Green | 20 | 180 | 1 |
Ok, right off the bat you can see that Amon-Ra St. Brown is going to have a pretty good season. I think he could very well have a top five statistical season in 2023. the trust is there with Goff and St. Brown keeps showing that he's getting better and better.
Jameson Williams should be a big part of the offense when he comes back in Week 7. That'll give him 11 games to rack up this stat line. That's something like five catches a game for 56 yards. Pretty doable.
The rookies have a pretty impressive rookie year in the pass catching world. Jahmyr Gibbs puts up just over 500 yards and 5 touchdowns while LaPorta also puts up 5 touchdowns and just over 400 yards.
These numbers might not seem as high as you might have pictured in your head. You like to think that each guy gets 1,000 yards receiving like you're playing Madden, but that's not going to happen. I think the Lions can eventually have two 1,000 yard receivers, but it's not going to happen in 2023.
Rushing
| Running Back | Rushing Yards | Rushing Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|
David Montgomery | 1,126 | 10 |
Jahmyr Gibbs | 765 | 6 |
Justin Jackson | 300 | 1 |
Amon-Ra St. Brown | 134 | 1 |
Here's what we've got. I don't think the Lions are going to put in more rushing touchdowns than they did last year. Having a guy get 17 by himself is not something that's easily replicable. 18 as a team is not bad though. That would have been in the top 10 of the league in 2022.
I have David Montgomery having the best season of his career in 2023 for multiple reasons. One is that he's running behind the best offensive line he's ever ran behind and two is that he is going to be the undisputed lead back in Detroit. The former is really the bigger reason why he should have a big year.
As for Gibbs, he's a home run hitter and I expect him to hit home runs. His 765 yards and six touchdowns along with his 525 yards and five touchdowns in the passing game is great. With these numbers, Gibbs should be a real contender to win offensive rookie of the year.
I didn't include another running back besides Justin Jackson because I don't really expect the Lions to carry more than three at this point. 300 yards and two touchdowns from Jackson would be very nice. Amon-Ra St. Brown is here because the Lions love to do those end arounds with him. He had 95 yards rushing in 2022.
This would be a great offensive season for the Lions. We'll see you January to see how right or wrong I am.
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