PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
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exeCutives & CoaChing<br />
<strong>Detroit</strong>lions.com<br />
Media.<strong>Detroit</strong>lions.com<br />
sCott linehan<br />
offensive<br />
Coordinator<br />
Year with <strong>Lions</strong>: 4<br />
Years in NFL: 11<br />
Linehan begins his fourth season as the <strong>Lions</strong>’ offensive<br />
coordinator after joining the club in 2009. He is now entering his 11th<br />
season as a NFL coach, going on 23 years of coaching experience.<br />
lions coaching highlights<br />
Last season, <strong>Detroit</strong>’s offense established new franchise standards<br />
while breaking team records in total yards (6,337), yards per game<br />
(396.1) and net passing yards (4,814). The <strong>Lions</strong> finished fifth in the<br />
NFL in total offense and fourth in passing offense.<br />
‣ The team’s fifth overall ranking in total offense in 2011 was the<br />
<strong>Lions</strong> highest since it finished second in the NFL in 1997. By ranking<br />
fourth in passing offense, it is the highest for the team since it<br />
was second in the NFL in 1995.<br />
‣ The <strong>Lions</strong> 474 points scored during the 2011 regular season are the<br />
most in team history, breaking the team record (436) set in 1995.<br />
‣ Linehan’s work with QB Matthew Stafford began to show<br />
dividends in 2011 as he set franchise passing records for yards<br />
(5,038), touchdowns (41), completions (421) and attempts (663).<br />
Stafford also established the team’s all-time best single-season<br />
completion percentage (63.5) and passer rating (97.2). Based on<br />
NFL qualifier of minimum 244 attempts.<br />
‣ Stafford’s numbers also ranked among the best in NFL history:<br />
4th quarterback to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a single<br />
season; 5th most yards (5,038); 7th most touchdowns (41); 5th<br />
most completions (421) and 3rd most attempts (663).<br />
‣ Stafford was one of three NFL quarterbacks, along with Saints<br />
QB Drew Brees and Patriots QB Tom Brady, to finish 2011 in the<br />
top five of all six major passing categories: 3rd in yards (5,038);<br />
3rd in touchdown passes (41); 5th in quarterback rating (97.2):<br />
5th in completion-percentage (63.5); 1st in attempts (663); 2nd<br />
in completions (421).<br />
‣ In 2010, the <strong>Lions</strong> were one of just seven teams to improve at least<br />
nine positions in total offense from 2009, as they went from 26th<br />
to 17th. In the passing game, they were one of just three teams<br />
to improve their ranking by nine spots (21 in 2009 to 12 in 2010).<br />
‣ <strong>Detroit</strong> had the third-most improved scoring offense in the NFL,<br />
scoring 100 more points than they did in 2009, which accounted<br />
for an average of 6.3 more points per game.<br />
‣ The <strong>Lions</strong> had the fourth-most improved offense in the NFL in<br />
2010, gaining 639 more yards than they did in 2009 (39.9 more<br />
yards per game).<br />
‣ The <strong>Detroit</strong> offense was the third-most improved unit in Red<br />
Zone touchdowns with 12 more touchdowns in 2010 than 2009.<br />
That equates to a 17.2 percent difference, which made the <strong>Lions</strong>’<br />
offense the second-most improved unit in Red Zone touchdown<br />
percentage as well.<br />
‣ <strong>Detroit</strong> had the fifth-highest increase of Red Zone possessions<br />
in the League. The <strong>Lions</strong> had 45 red zone possessions in 2010<br />
compared to 36 in 2009.<br />
In 2009, his first season directing the <strong>Lions</strong> offense, Linehan<br />
focused on implementing a versatile offensive attack along with<br />
the maturation of the team’s young, talented offensive playmakers.<br />
Working directly with the team’s quarterbacks, Linehan was<br />
instrumental in the growth of rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford,<br />
who became one of the youngest players to ever start the season at<br />
quarterback in the NFL. Stafford steadily progressed with each outing<br />
until injuries slowed him down toward the end of the year. Stafford<br />
finished the season ranking near the top of almost every franchise<br />
rookie passing record, including first in touchdown passes (13) and<br />
second in yards (2,267), completions (201) and completion percentage<br />
(54.1) despite starting only ten games.<br />
Linehan joined the <strong>Lions</strong> coaching staff after spending three<br />
seasons (2006-08) as the head coach of the St. Louis Rams.<br />
As a first-time NFL head coach, Linehan quickly put his stamp on<br />
the Rams in 2006 via the ground game, giving the ball to RB Stephen<br />
Jackson 346 times in 2006 – the most by a St. Louis player in 20<br />
seasons. Jackson finished the year with 1,528 rushing yards (3rd,<br />
NFC), 105 first downs (1st, NFC) and 2,334 all-purpose yards (1st,<br />
NFL), earning his first-career Pro Bowl appearance. Jackson averaged<br />
21.0 carries per game over Linehan’s three-year span with the Rams<br />
compared with 16.9 carries per game in 2005 and established himself<br />
as one of the NFL’s big running threats.<br />
Other Rams saw career bests under Linehan. QB Marc Bulger<br />
passed for a career-best 4,301 yards in 2006, setting franchise records<br />
with a 1.4 interception percentage and 588 passing attempts. His 370<br />
completions for 24 touchdowns were also second in Rams’ history.<br />
That season, WR Torry Holt and WR Isaac Bruce finished with 1,188<br />
and 1,098 yards, respectively, combining for 167 pass receptions.<br />
In addition to his three seasons as a NFL head coach, Linehan<br />
brings four years of league experience as an offensive coordinator.<br />
He spent the 2005 season with the Miami Dolphins, improving the<br />
team’s total offense from 4,960 yards (29th, NFL) in 2004 to 5,198<br />
yards (14th, NFL) in 2005 and bettering the run game from 402 rush<br />
attempts (31st, NFL) in 2004 to 444 (12th, NFL) in 2005.<br />
That year, the Dolphins’ two primary running backs – Ronnie Brown<br />
and Ricky Williams – combined for 1,650 rushing yards and 10 rushing<br />
touchdowns. WR Chris Chambers earned his first-career Pro Bowl<br />
appearance under Linehan, finishing with 82 catches for 1,118 yards<br />
and 11 touchdowns, marking his only 1,000-yard season.<br />
Linehan broke into the League as an offensive coordinator/<br />
quarterbacks coach with the Minnesota Vikings in 2002, helping the<br />
franchise to some of its best offensive seasons to date, ranking second,<br />
first and fourth from 2002-04. During his tenure, the Vikings compiled<br />
a franchise-best 36 consecutive games of 300-yards-or-more of total<br />
offense (2002-04) and, in 2004, compiled a franchise-best five games<br />
of 400-yards-or more of total offense.<br />
In Vikings history, his offenses also rank first and second in total<br />
yards (6,339 yards, 2004; 6,294 yards, 2003), first and second in first<br />
downs (351, 2004; 350, 2002), second and third in touchdowns (51,<br />
2003; 50, 2004), second in points (416, 2003), first in passing first<br />
downs (225, 2004), first in rushing touchdowns (26, 2002) and second<br />
and third in rushing yards (2,507 yards, 2002; 2,343 yards, 2003).<br />
Minnesota’s top offensive players had some of their best years<br />
under Linehan, including QB Daunte Culpepper and WR Randy Moss,<br />
who each had career years while he was with the Vikings. Moss became<br />
the team’s featured ‘big man’ in 2002 after the departure of WR Cris<br />
Carter, starting 45 games over that span and garnering two Pro Bowl<br />
selections (2002, 2003) under Linehan.<br />
Moss finished with 106 catches for 1,347 yards and seven<br />
touchdowns in 2002 while his 111 receptions for 1,632 yards in 2003<br />
remain personal bests. He also tied a career high in 2003 with 17<br />
touchdowns, a personal best he held until he brought in 23 in 2007<br />
with New England.<br />
Culpepper also had some of his best seasons with Linehan calling<br />
the plays, including a career year in 2004. That year, his second Pro<br />
Bowl season, Culpepper finished with a passer rating of 110.9 for the<br />
fourth-highest in NFL history and his 69.2 completion percentage<br />
(379-of-548), league-leading 4,717 passing yards, 8.6 yards per play<br />
average and 39 touchdowns still mark career bests.<br />
Linehan was able to effectively utilize the Culpepper-Moss tandem<br />
over his three seasons with the Vikings, bettering the team’s total<br />
points to 390, 416 and 405, respectively, after Minnesota scored 290<br />
points in 2001. He maintained the team’s solid performance through<br />
the air, as the offense ranked 9th, 4th and 2nd, respectively, throughout<br />
his three seasons.<br />
But even with the dynamic passing game, Linehan also made<br />
significant improvements to the team’s running game. Prior to his<br />
arrival in 2001, the Vikings finished 25th in the league with 376 rushing<br />
plays for 1,609 yards (4.3 average). In 2002, Linehan helped the Vikings<br />
to the league’s top ground game, finishing with 473 rushing plays for<br />
2,507 yards (5.3 average).<br />
That year, Minnesota’s running game was led by Michael Bennett,<br />
who earned his first Pro Bowl selection following the 2002 season. He<br />
finished the year 11th in the NFL in rushing with a career-best 1,296<br />
yards – his only 1,000-yard performance to date – on 255 attempts.<br />
In 2003, Linehan utilized a trio of runners – Moe Williams, Onterio