The Lions may have a problem with communication when it comes to penalties
The Lions seem to not know what they can get called for more than you’d like to see
To be clear, I think this is the most overblown thing about the Detroit Lions’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday. I don’t think Jameson Williams jumping onto the goal post after his touchdown really changed a whole lot for the game. The Lions spent most of it within seven points of the Eagles anyway, and there was really no real way to lose by a point. I think it was a moment in which the announcers saw a chance for a storyline, and radio hosts did too.
With that said, there is a more concerning thing coming out of this, and that is simply the fact that Williams didn’t know it was a flagable offense. According to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Williams was really upset on the sideline after the flag and told his teammates that he didn’t know that you could get called for that.
Do the Lions have an issue with communicating what penalties are?
St. Brown’s brother, Equanimeous St. Brown talked about the Packers having a guy on staff who would explain penalties, and as far as I know, the Lions don’t have anything like that. But they have had multiple moments with stuff like this in recent years. It’s not always Jameson Williams, too. I definitely am not a fan of the discourse around this, in which Williams is some immature little boy.
Another big example is Jared Goff’s penalty against the Chiefs. It’s super dumb, but how is it not known ahead of time exactly what placement the quarterback has to be in for that not to get called? Granted, it’s one where a lot of fans and media didn’t get either, but we’re not the guys on the field. They practiced that all week, but where was the communication on exactly how it had to be done?
Look, it’s not the end of the world as I noted. The Lions are one of the least penalized teams in the league. But it’s a little concerning that there’s been some stuff that players just don’t seem to know about at the end of the day. It may just be time for the Lions to have a simple refresher on what you can and can’t do out there. The last thing you want is for another little mistake like this that could potentially turn into a much bigger mistake.
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