Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia, general manager Bob Quinn and team president Rod Wood spoke to 3,811 season ticket members Monday evening during the team's annual summit at Ford Field.
The trio took questions for around 45 minutes on a number of topics. Both Quinn and Patricia were asked about how they planned to improve Detroit's run game.
That's obviously been a hot topic item in Detroit for a while now as the team has consistently finished toward the bottom of the NFL in rushing the last four seasons. Detroit ranked last in the league in yards per game and yards per carry a season ago.
View photos from the 2018 Season Ticket Member Summit at Ford Field.
Quinn admitted that breaking down the run game from last season was one of the more significant tasks that came across his desk this offseason.
"It's not just one thing," he said about what ailed the run game last season. "You can't just look at the run game last year, which I've said it before, it was not good enough last year, and it will be better this year.
"It's the combination of all those things. It's the running game. It's the scheme. It's the blocking. It's the health. It's the durability. It's all those things in one. I feel real confident as I stand here today that its going to be a lot better."
Quinn believes in the competition and balance he's created in the backfield with the signing of veteran LeGarrette Blount in free agency. He also thinks the blocking for Blount and the other backs will be much better in front of them with the hiring of Jeff Davidson as the offensive line coach.
The signing of Blount in free agency gives the Lions a productive power runner they've lacked in years past. It gives them better balance. Patricia likes that balance. And the Lions could still add even more talent and versatility to the running back room via the NFL Draft later this month.
"I think for us it's all about competition," Patricia said. "But when we get into the game-plan mode and actually have our team and are working against a particular opponent, then it becomes into a matchup situation."
Patricia wants competition and versatility to develop in Detroit because he knows how hard it is to defend, especially when factoring in quarterback Matthew Stafford and the weapons he has in a passing attack that consistently ranked in the top 10 over the years.
