Drew Petzing kept Arizona scoring when they had no business scoring
Drew Petzing’s Arizona offenses left behind one number that should matter to every Lions fan paying attention. Arizona averaged 20 points per game in its losses last season. That ranked 9th in the NFL. The Lions, for reference, were 12th at 19.3 points per game in losses.
Twenty points per game does not sound impressive until you understand what it actually means.
This was not one of the NFL’s best rosters. This was not an offense loaded with Pro Bowl talent. This was a Cardinals team that won eight games in 2024 and then fell to three wins in 2025. And yet even when Arizona lost, the offense still moved the football, still scored, and still forced opponents to keep playing. That is one of the biggest indicators of a quality offensive coordinator.
The garbage time question
The first criticism people will throw at this stat is fair. Were those points scored in garbage time against prevent defenses?
It is a valid question because points per game in losses does not tell you when those points happened. But if you look at Pro Football Reference’s split stats, the Cardinals scored just three touchdowns when trailing with four minutes or less remaining last season. That is the window most people define as garbage time, and Arizona was not padding its numbers there.
Were the Cardinals scoring while trailing? Yes, because they were always trailing. But that is different from racking up meaningless points against a defense that stopped caring. The scoring happened throughout games, not in the final minutes when the outcome was already decided.
Petzing made Arizona’s offense work with spare parts
Look at Petzing’s entire tenure and the picture gets clearer. In 2024, the Cardinals were 12th in points per game, 10th in offensive DVOA, 10th in EPA per play, and 11th in total yards per game. They were good offensively. The defense let them down.
In 2025, Arizona dipped to 23rd in points per game, 24th in EPA per play, and 19th in total yards per game. But there were major changes. Kyler Murray dealt with injuries, and injuries hit other spots on the roster. Despite all of that, the offense maintained competitive scoring floors regardless of the team record.
The run game stands out even more. From 2023 to 2025, the Cardinals were 14th in rushing success rate, 5th in rush EPA, and 2nd in explosive rush rate. Petzing had that ground game churning with no Pro Bowl or All-Pro offensive linemen.
Arizona has not had one of those since 2022, before Petzing arrived. He did this with guys like Hjalte Froholdt, former Lion Evan Brown, Paris Johnson, Jonah Williams, and Isaiah Adams. Decent offensive linemen, but none of them jump off the page. Froholdt was a backup center in Cleveland before becoming a three-year starter under Petzing. Brown had the best season of his career under Petzing in 2024.
Now imagine what he does with actual talent
Here is the thing. If Petzing could consistently squeeze points out of Arizona’s roster, what happens when he gets handed Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and a significantly better offensive line?
Goff is a clear upgrade over both Murray and Jacoby Brissett. Gibbs is a major step up from James Conner. St. Brown, Williams, and Isaac TeSlaa are real upgrades over what Arizona had at receiver. LaPorta and Trey McBride are close to a wash, but the rest of the roster comparison is not close. And then there is the offensive line, which is theoretically better just by having Penei Sewell alone.
Anybody can look smart when everything is working. You see it every year. A coordinator rides a talented roster to a head coaching job and then struggles without those same players.
Petzing showed the opposite. He got blood from a stone in Arizona with players who had not developed and guys who are not considered elite. That is what makes this worth watching.
We will see what he can do in Detroit with a roster that gives him so much more to work with.
Are we about to watch Petzing turn this offense into something legitimately dangerous or are we setting ourselves up for disappointment again? Drop your take below.
