The Detroit Lions offense was clearly good on the surface. Ben Johnson’s unit finished fifth in scoring and third in total yards during the 2023 regular season.
The Lions offense was also very good below the surface in the analytical grading. Detroit finished in the top 10 of every single offensive metric graded by Pro Football Focus.
Detroit’s offensive rankings in the main offensive measuring sticks from PFF:
Total offense: 2nd
Passing: 5th
Pass blocking: t-8th
Receiving: 3rd
Running: 9th
Run blocking: 2nd
PFF grades are often taken with a wink or a grain of salt, but they do serve as a strong comparative tool on a more macro level. The overall grades for the teams (and also individual players) are an effective way of seeing how good–or bad–a group is relative to its peers across the league.