Detroit Lions 2026 Offensive Preview:

By: Jeremy T. Ballreich

How Drew Petzing and Mike Kafka Could Reshape the NFC’s Most Physical Attack**

The Detroit Lions enter the 2026 season with a rare opportunity: pairing two of the NFL’s most forward‑thinking offensive minds in Drew Petzing and Mike Kafka inside a system already built on identity, continuity, and star‑level talent. It’s not often a team gets to add one innovative play‑caller, let alone two, without sacrificing the core philosophy that made them a contender. But that’s exactly the scenario unfolding in Allen Park.

Petzing arrives as the new offensive coordinator with a reputation for structure, detail, and quarterback‑friendly design. Kafka joins as Senior Offensive Assistant, bringing years of experience in the Andy Reid and Brian Daboll systems — two of the most quarterback‑centric, spacing‑driven offenses in football. Together, they inherit a roster that’s already loaded: Jared Goff coming off multiple Pro Bowl seasons, Jahmyr Gibbs ascending into superstar territory, Amon‑Ra St. Brown in his prime, Sam LaPorta emerging as a top‑five tight end, and an offensive line that remains one of the league’s best even after natural turnover.

The question isn’t whether Detroit will score. It’s what this offense will become with two architects shaping it.

A Marriage of Philosophies: Wide‑Zone Roots Meet Spread‑Era Precision

Drew Petzing’s background is steeped in the Kevin Stefanski/Kyle Shanahan family tree. His offenses emphasize:

Wide‑zone runs that stress the edges
Play‑action from under center
Condensed formations
Motion that manipulates second‑level defenders
Defined reads for the quarterback

Mike Kafka, meanwhile, is a disciple of the modern spread‑hybrid era. His fingerprints include:

Quick‑game spacing concepts
RPO integration
Empty formations
Bunch/stack releases
Option routes for slot receivers and tight ends

What makes this pairing dangerous is how complementary their strengths are. Petzing brings the structure. Kafka brings the flexibility. Petzing builds the foundation. Kafka adds the layers. Petzing creates the run‑action gravity. Kafka weaponizes it with route combinations that punish defenses for overplaying the box.

Detroit’s offense in 2026 could become one of the league’s most unpredictable units — not because it’s gimmicky, but because it’s versatile.

Jared Goff’s Best Version Yet?

Goff has thrived in systems that give him:

Strong run support
Defined reads
Rhythm throws
Play‑action opportunities
Protection he can trust

Petzing checks every box. His offense is built to make the quarterback’s life easier, not harder. Expect more under‑center work, more bootlegs, and more half‑field reads that let Goff play fast and decisive.

Kafka’s influence, however, is where Goff could take another leap. Kafka’s quick‑game concepts — especially the slant/flat, spacing, and choice‑route families — are tailor‑made for a quarterback who excels when he knows where the ball should go pre‑snap.

The result: Goff could operate in a system that marries his Rams‑era comfort with his Detroit‑era confidence.

More easy throws. More YAC opportunities. More answers versus pressure. And more chances to attack the middle of the field, where he’s historically been at his best.

Jahmyr Gibbs: The Engine of the New Offense

If there’s one player who stands to benefit the most from this coaching combination, it’s Jahmyr Gibbs.

Petzing’s run game is built on wide‑zone, mid‑zone, and counter variations that create natural cutback lanes. Gibbs’ acceleration, vision, and ability to plant and explode make him a perfect fit. Expect more:

Toss crack
Orbit motion runs
Split‑flow zone
Counter with pulling guards
Play‑action screens

Kafka, meanwhile, will expand Gibbs’ role as a receiver. Think:

Angle routes
Texas concepts
Slot alignments
Empty formations
RPO swing/arrow options

Gibbs could realistically push for 1,800–2,000 total yards in this offense. He’s the matchup nightmare that ties everything together.

Amon‑Ra St. Brown: The Ultimate System Player in the Ultimate System

Few players in the league are more tailor‑made for a hybrid Petzing/Kafka offense than Amon‑Ra St. Brown.

Petzing will use him like a classic Shanahan slot:

Condensed splits
Deep crossers
Over routes
Play‑action digs
Crack‑replace blocking

Kafka will use him like a modern option‑route technician:

Choice routes
Whip/return routes
Mesh concepts
Bunch stacks
Motion‑to‑stack releases

St. Brown is already one of the NFL’s most reliable chain‑movers. In this system, he becomes the quarterback’s best friend on every down. Expect his target share to remain elite, but with more explosive opportunities created by layered route combinations.

Sam LaPorta: The Mismatch Creator

LaPorta is the player who allows this offense to become truly multiple.

Petzing loves tight ends in the run game — sift blocks, split flow, leak routes. Kafka loves tight ends in the pass game — seams, sticks, option routes, red‑zone isolation.

LaPorta can do all of it.

He’s the chess piece that forces defenses into uncomfortable personnel decisions. Go nickel, and Detroit runs the ball. Go base, and LaPorta becomes a mismatch in space. Expect him to be featured heavily in:

Bootleg flood concepts
RPO stick routes
Red‑zone high‑low reads
Middle‑of‑field seams
Y‑choice

He could easily finish as a top‑three tight end in receptions and yards.

The Offensive Line: Still the Heart of the Identity

Even with natural turnover, Detroit’s offensive line remains one of the league’s most physical units. Petzing’s system will lean on them heavily — especially in the wide‑zone game, where athleticism and cohesion matter more than star power.

Kafka’s influence will show up in pass protection adjustments: