Pride of Detroit
With reports that former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is being hired as the next Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, everyone is scrambling to dig into Petzing’s past to analyze the decision. We’re no different here at Pride of Detroit.
But while Petzing’s coaching career spans well over a decade, in this piece, we’re just going to focus on his last three years with the Cardinals as their play-caller. We’re going to look at what he did well, what he struggled with, any sort of other factors that may have impacted the Cardinals’ offensive output, and then relate it all back to what the Lions like to do on offense.
So let’s dig into the last three years of Petzing’s offenses.
Overall stats:
Passing stats:
Rushing stats:
Key offensive injuries:
While the Cardinals didn’t put up a ton of points in Petzing’s first season as offensive coordinator, there were certainly some positive signs. Led by a relatively healthy offensive line, the Cardinals produced a top-10 rushing offense in just about every significant statistical category, and it wasn’t overly reliant on the mobility of quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Joshua Dobbs. Despite missing five games, James Conner had the most efficient season of his career, rushing for 1,040 yards (sixth in the NFL), seven rushing touchdowns (16th), and 5.0 yards per carry (fifth).
The passing game obviously suffered from a ton of injuries. Foremost was Murray missing the first nine games of the season. He struggled upon his return, although it’s worth noting he finished the season strong, throwing for six touchdowns, one interception, and a collective 108.3 passer rating in his final three games under the new offense.
Also worth noting, with Zach Ertz out for most of the season, this was Trey McBride’s breakout season in his second year in the NFL. After posting just 29 catches for 265 yards his rookie season, McBride jumped to 81 catches for 825 yards in Petzing’s first year as offensive coordinator.
Overall stats:
Passing stats:
Rushing stats:
