ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Matthew Stafford lined up on the 1-yard line. A play earlier, with the Lions needing a touchdown in a two-minute drill, Golden Tate drew a pass interference call on Nevin Lawson with no time left.
So now, Stafford had one more play to try and score. Even though he was wearing a red non-contact jersey, Stafford took it upon himself. He dropped back, stepped forward and scrambled toward the goal line.
He dove, kind of, across the goal line even though he wasn’t allowed to be touched, the only touchdown the Lions scored during their two-minute drill at practice Wednesday. It’s a weird decision because he isn’t allowed to be hit, so it doesn’t exactly replicate anything good.
But it also was an instinctive one for the eighth-year quarterback and the now unquestioned leader of this year’s Lions. It was just one practice and one situation in front of a smattering of fans, but it showed that Stafford isn’t necessarily looking to play it safe this year.
He has comfort and command of the Detroit Lions' offense, something he focused heavily on this offseason when he and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter broke down and then built up what the Lions would be doing. It forced him to learn as much as he could during the offseason and so far, it seems like it is paying off.
“This offense, for a quarterback, you’re in complete control at the line of scrimmage,” Stafford said. “And so if you’re hesitating or second-guessing, that 40-second clock winds down pretty quick. So you got to make sure you’re getting your team in a good play.
“So just really focused on how can I get us in the right play and how can I get us in plays that are going to attack certain looks.”
Stafford's command has been apparent in this first week of training camp, as he continues to look sharp -- whether he’s running an oddly-decided draw or trying to complete passes to Marvin Jones or Tate.
Now some more observations from a night practice at the team’s facility:
1. Theo Riddick and Don Carey were back: Riddick returned to practice and participated in individual drills, but I didn’t see him do too much during team periods. That work was mostly left to Ameer Abdullah, who is still in a red non-contact jersey. But Riddick looked smooth catching passes in individuals. Carey also returned from the NFI list and spent most of his time with the third unit. He did make a nice play, breaking up a Jake Rudock pass intended for Jace Billingsley. It’ll be interesting to see where Carey ends up on the depth chart because he’s in a fight for a roster spot.
2. First-team offense moved well: Going to the point at the top, the first-team offense has looked smooth with Stafford running it against the No. 1 defense. The offensive line held up a bit better Wednesday than it had the two previous practices in 11-on-11 situations, but Wednesday was the closest to game-action so far and Stafford looked really comfortable. Saturday's simulated game will be a better barometer of his progress at this point.
3. Alex Carter still has a long way to go: It was a rough day of individuals for last year’s third-round pick. He continually matched up against undrafted free agent Damian Copeland and Copeland routinely got the better of him. He beat him really bad on a quick double move that led to an inside slant in one-on-ones and was beat again the next time the two matched up. He still has a lot of time in camp, but between him and Bademosi, the Lions need to hope one of them starts to show a lot more in coverage behind Darius Slay, Nevin Lawson and possibly either Darrin Walls or Crezdon Butler.
4. The offensive line looked better Wednesday: In live drills, Stafford looked like he had more time -- not as much for Dan Orlovsky and Rudock. But after two practices of being roundly beaten in the offensive versus defensive line drill, the offensive line won 10 of 18 reps, by my unofficial judgment and count. A guy on the offensive line that has done well no matter who he has faced has been Geoff Schwartz. He’s held his own on almost every rep I have seen him take the past two days. Riley Reiff also did a good job on Devin Taylor in his one rep.
5. Corey Fuller doesn’t sound particularly close to returning: The wide receiver had foot surgery in June and is on the PUP list. He said he feels “good” and wouldn’t say whether he’ll return in time for the regular season. Fuller said he is not running yet and is working on “just kind of strengthening everything up and working on flexibility.” In other words, he doesn’t sound close to getting back.
