Using Motion to Dictate Matchups

The NFL is all about matchups, and the offenses that can find ways to create favorable 1-on-1’s have a distinct advantage.

In this breakdown, I’ll focus on how Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson was able to use motion to dictate the matchups he wanted during Detroit’s 2022 Week 12 game against the Bills as an example.

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Amon-Ra St. Brown was the Lions’ best receiver in 2022. He was also the 3rd-highest rated receiver in the NFL when working out of the slot, according to Pro Football Focus.

For the Bills, Taron Johnson was their preferred slot corner. He would generally play inside regardless of the receiver that was aligned there.

So the objective for the Lions was to find a way to get St. Brown matched up inside on one of Buffalo’s other corners who generally aren’t as comfortable or effective playing in the slot.

Cornerback Dane Jackson, who spent just 2% of his time in the slot during the 2022 season (according to PFF), would be the target.

This first example from that game was a 3rd-and-8 in the 1st quarter. The Lions came out in an empty 3x2 formation. To the 2-receiver side, Kalif Raymond was aligned on the perimeter with St. Brown in the slot. The Bills matched up with Jackson on the outside vs. Raymond and Johnson inside on St. Brown:

The Lions then sent Raymond in orbit motion across the formation. But this wasn’t one of those motions where the receiver slowly saunters across the field. Instead, Raymond went into a sprint, which is something you normally see right before the snap. So the Bills couldn’t just easily check into an entirely different defense to handle the new 4x1 formation.

Ben Johnson had a pretty good idea of how Buffalo would respond, though.