Detroit Lions notes: Two-minute drills prepare offense for late-game drives

Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay (23) holds his leg against the Washington Redskins during an NFL football game in Detroit, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016. Detroit won 20-17. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

By Paula Pasche | The Oakland Press

PUBLISHED: October 24, 2016 at 5:26 p.m. | UPDATED: June 17, 2021 at 6:46 a.m.

ALLEN PARK >> When the Lions take the field late in the fourth quarter needing a score to win the game, they are in familiar territory.

Sunday was the third straight game that the offense needed to score late to come back for a win. The Lions had one minute and five seconds along with three time-outs. They were good to go. They scored a touchdown in 49 seconds moving 75 yards down the field with Matthew Stafford leading the way. They beat the Redskins, 20-17.

PHOTOS FROM LIONS 20-17 WIN OVER REDSKINS

“We’ve been doing those (drills) every week even in OTAs, we practice them. Two-minute offense is one of the first things we install,” wide receiver Golden Tate said on Monday. “As a receiver you don’t exactly get excited about these two-minute drives in practice, but it’s necessary and we’re responding and it’s almost like we’re comfortable in that environment. Obviously we don’t want to be in it a lot, but we feel confident with the leaders we have on this team, the way we play well together we can go out and execute.”

In practice coach Jim Caldwell does not make it easy.

“It’s way it’s tougher in practice, usually the situation is like 48 seconds from the minus 20 or 30, zero time-outs, down by 4, so you have to score,” Tate said. “We’re used to it. When we have three time-outs at the end of the game, it’s almost a relief. It feels like it’s more than a minute, five when you have time-outs so it’s obviously a good thing.”

At practice Caldwell does not give them the luxury of time-outs.

“Well, they always pull my leg because of the fact that I never give them any time-outs to work with. I make them work without any and usually it’s some wisecrack or something, you know, ‘Who used up all the time-outs, what happened? How many, we don’t have any left?’ One of those kinds of deals, but I believe that if you can make them function with their back against the wall consistently, without any time-outs, they’ll learn how to conserve time. They’re used to being in tough situations and I think it tends to make you better,” Caldwell said.

It’s part of his philosophy which includes the old saying: “Under pressure you don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That’s why we work so hard.”

It all fits together and on the last three Sundays it has worked.

Tomlinson benched

After 20 starts, left guard Laken Tomlinson was benched on Sunday in favor of Graham Glasgow.

Tomlinson had filled in at right guard the previous game when Larry Warford was injured.

It wouldn’t be such a big deal except Tomlinson was a first-round pick in 2015.

He started the first six games this season and 14 as a rookie.

“Any final decision is mine, so we look at all of the parameters, look at all the options, look at the situation and then make the best decision for our team,” coach Jim Caldwell said on Monday.

Tomlinson did not play a snap on offense, but was in on five special teams plays.

Caldwell was asked how he thought Glasgow played.

“He did OK,” the coach said.

No word on Slay

No update Monday on the hamstring injury to Darius Slay that forced him out in the second quarter on Sunday.

If he can’t go on Sunday, the defense could have its hands full with Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

“We go from week-to-week. We had five guys missing last week, this week’s going to be no different,” Caldwell said. “We’re going to have some guys missing, but our job is to win games. We don’t look at what we can’t do and who’s not there, and all that kind of stuff. We just look at the fact that we’ve got to get our guys ready to play and play well, regardless of who we face.”

By the numbers

After seven games the wide receivers have nearly identical receptions. Marvin Jones Jr., has 33, Anquan Boldin has 32 and Golden Tate has 31. … Punter Sam Martin continues to lead the NFL in net average for punts at 46.8 yards. … Matthew Stafford’s quarterback rating is 105.7, fourth among NFL quarterbacks. … Marvin Jones Jr., is fifth in reception yards with 623.