Under Coach Dan Campbell, the Detroit Lions take advantage of every opportunity to outmaneuver the opposing defense, relying on their arsenal of secret weapons. Ben Johnson, the Lions’ offensive coordinator, has become well-known for his creative, unanticipated play-calling. Before their 2023 winning season, it was easier to catch defenses off guard. Today, the Lions are viewed as a genuine Super Bowl contender and, therefore, on every team’s radar.
In addition to a winning record, the Lions’ coaching staff has a knack for taking underrated rookies and turning them into NFL stars. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta are examples of young players who flourished under the Lions’ coaching. Both Gibbs and LaPorta excelled in their record-breaking rookie season.
Part of their success could be attributed to defenses not anticipating these two breakout talents. But if defenses didn’t adequately cover Gibbs and LaPorta previously, the secret is out now. In the first two games of this season, LaPorta, in particular, was limited by heavy coverage. If Johnson is going to outsmart the competition, he’ll have to find new secret weapons.
Who Is The Detroit Lions Newest Secret Weapon?
The Lions may have already deployed the latest secret weapon in their arsenal. Besides the outstanding defensive performance by Aidan Hutchinson, one of the highlights from last week’s unanticipated loss to the Tamps Bay Buccaneers was the fake punt. Instead of punting on 4th down when the Lions were deep inside their territory, punter Jack Fox heaved a stunning 17-yard pass to rookie running back Sione Vaki. to keep the drive alive.
Trick Plays
It wasn’t Fox’s first successful fake punt. Johnson and Dan Campbell have attempted the fake punt eleven times, successfully converting nine. A former high school quarterback, Fox converted four out of five of those booming punts for a total of 61 yards. In addition to his prowess as a punter, Fox now has more passing yards than any other punter in Lions history. But as impressive of a talent as Fox is, he was not the only secret weapon on display last weekend.
Fans also caught a glimpse of the speed and play-making ability of the Lions’ young rookie, Vaki. The 5’11”, 213-pound Vaki is a graduate of the University of Utah. If there is one word that describes Vaki, it’s versatility. Playing offense and defense in high school and college football, Vaki excelled at both. It’s virtually unheard of for a football player to be successful on both sides of the field, but Vaki found a way.
In college, Vaki recorded 92 tackles, 12 for a loss, defended three passes, forced one fumble, and had two sacks and two interceptions. Playing offense, he rushed for 543 yards on 66 carries with four touchdowns. As a receiver, Vaki contributed another 16 receptions for 352 yards with three more touchdowns. It’s worth noting that Vaki only played two years of college football.
Detroit Lions Secret Weapon
Vaki has been described by Campbell and Johnson as a Swiss army knife type of player. He can be “plugged in” and utilized in a variety of ways. In addition to playing offense and defense, Vaki can also return punts. This young man is an outstanding talent and it’s quite likely the Lions will continue to find additional ways to unleash him as their newest secret weapon.
Main Image: Junfu Han – USA Today Sports
