Playbooks

Team Playbook

NFL Live Lions Offense

TeamOffense

View the Detroit Lions Team Hub

7Formations

41Sets

578Plays

Overview

NFL Live Lions Offense is functionally the same playbook as Lions Offense. The two cuts share all 578 plays and differ by zero sets, so the choice between them comes down to which sheet you prefer to load, not to any scheme difference. Everything below applies equally to both versions.

This is a Shotgun first offense. Shotgun carries 371 plays (64%) across 22 sets, which gives you a deep menu of spread looks for drags, crossers, flats, spots, hitches and slants, along with dedicated Cover 3 Beater concepts. Behind that sits a real under center package: Singleback adds 111 plays (19%) across 9 sets, and the I Form, Maryland I, Strong I and Goal Line Offense groups together account for 93 more plays of downhill run and play action material such as FB Dive, 0 1 Trap and Counter Weak. Maryland I shows up in only 5 of the game's 236 playbooks, so its stacked backfield is a look most opponents rarely have to prepare for.

The personnel range runs from 11 all the way to 23 and 30. That lets you spread the field on early downs, then jam three tight ends or three backs into the formation when you need to lean on a defense. At 578 plays it sits on the smaller end of the 64 offensive team playbooks, so the book trades sheer volume for a tight structure: a quick game passing core out of Shotgun, a play action and block and release layer from Singleback, and a heavy run package for short yardage and the red zone.

Scheme Fit

NFL Live Lions Offense wants an accurate, quick release quarterback who can work drags, slants and hitches out of Shotgun, plus a physical run game with a real fullback and at least two tight ends who can block first and release second. A power back who hits the hole on traps and counters, along with sure handed slot and tight end targets on crossers, makes both halves of the book work. Pick it if you like a spread passing base that can shift into rare Maryland I and heavy personnel when you need to run over a defense.

Example Plays from this Playbook

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Strengths

Shotgun depth at 64% of the book across 22 sets means you can run the same drag, crosser, slant and hitch concepts from many alignments, disguising your quick game against players who key on formation.
Maryland I is in only 5 of 236 playbooks, so its stacked three back look plus trap and counter action forces opponents to adjust their run fits and user assignments on the fly, often with no film on it.
Personnel range from 11 to 23 and 30 lets you swing between spread sets and extreme heavy groupings, pulling defenders into goal line or big nickel subs and then attacking the mismatch with play action.
Built in Cover 3 Beater concepts and flat, spot and post combos give you answers to the most common zone looks without needing heavy hot route work at the line.
A 111 play Singleback group with play action and block and release concepts bridges your spread and power packages, so a tight end can chip a blitzing edge and still leak into the flat as a checkdown.

Weaknesses

With nearly two thirds of the book in Shotgun, opponents who see a gun look can sell out for pass and use nano blitz pressure, because the under center run game is a much smaller slice.
The heavy formations are thin: Strong I has only 9 plays in 1 set and Goal Line Offense only 15 in 1 set, so a savvy defender can learn your short yardage tendencies quickly.
At 578 plays the book is smaller than most offensive team playbooks, which limits the number of unique looks per formation and makes play call repetition easier to spot over a long franchise game.
The listed concepts lean toward quick game and zone beaters, so against tight press man you will lean on slants and motion to get free releases instead of a large menu of dedicated man beaters.
Hail Mary has just 3 plays across 2 sets, so end of half desperation options are limited to a small number of looks.

Usage Tips

Build your base audible package around your favorite Shotgun sets: use drag and crosser concepts on 1st and 10 and 2nd and medium, and flip to a Cover 3 Beater call when you read single high safety pre snap.

Keep a Singleback play action call on your audible list for 2nd and short and 1st down after a successful run, using block and release so your tight end helps with pressure before leaking into the flat.

On 3rd and 1, 4th and 1, or inside the 5, move to Maryland I or Goal Line Offense and hammer FB Dive or 0 1 Trap, then save a play action pass from the same set for when the defense stacks the box.

Use I Form Counter Weak on early downs in the middle of the field to punish linebackers who flow hard, and pair it with a play action look from the same set to hold the second level.

When a defense sits in heavy zone against 11 personnel, motion a receiver in Shotgun and hot route a slant or hitch to the flat side to steal easy yardage and move the chains on 3rd and short to medium.