One of the schools of thought to try and explain Matthew Stafford’s poor 2018 campaign focused on the utter absence of options from the slot. Following the Golden Tate trade, the Lions offensive production from the slot, be it wide receiver or tight end, was pathetically absent.
Now Stafford has T.J. Hockenson at tight end and Danny Amendola as the primary slot receiver. The veteran QB seems quite happy with his new receiving toys from the slot.
In the first game, Stafford completed 10 passes (five apiece) to his new targets when aligned in the slot. That put both Hockenson and Amendola among the league leaders in slot productivity in Week 1, according to NFL Matchup on ESPN.
The 171 combined receiving yards from a slot alignment is nearly 60 more than the Lions had in any game in 2018 following the Tate trade. Per ESPN, Stafford had three games of less than 40 yards completed to slot players, the lowest total in the NFL of regular starters in 2018.
It’s a very welcome rebirth for Stafford, rising from the ashes of slot incompetence back into being one of the best in just one week under new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.
