The Detroit Lions’ offense has had a slow start in the first two games, despite ranking second in the NFL in total yardage (413 yards per game).

They are 16th in scoring offense (21 points per game), struggling in the red zone with a 3-for-11 conversion rate, including 1-for-7 against the Buccaneers in Week 2.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s play calling and quarterback Jared Goff’s difficulties have been focal points in the early struggles.

The lack of preseason reps for starters has also been cited as a factor, though head coach Dan Campbell has indicated that this approach will remain unchanged. However, Campbell noted that a few preseason snaps wouldn’t drastically impact performance.

Improvements are expected for the Lions’ offense, and the current issues will likely be a thing of the past. While there’s no sense of urgency yet, it’s reasonable to be concerned about the slow start.

Dan Campbell shared his thoughts on the offense during his weekly segment on 97.1 The Ticket, where he addressed whether he was surprised the offense was “a bit off.”

“I’m not shocked. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re not fully clicking until after the bye. Sometimes it takes time,” Campbell said. “In New Orleans and in our great offenses here over the past three years, it’s not always perfect right away.

I’m not shaken by this at all. We’re closer than people realize. The players and coaches know it, but we just need to fix the small details from last week. We’ve improved a lot since the Rams game.”

Campbell’s comment about not expecting the offense to be “cooking” until the Week 5 bye raised eyebrows. He acknowledged the slim margins affecting red zone performance, but there seems to be more behind the struggles.

No one wants to hear that it might take a few more weeks for the offense to hit its stride, but Campbell, true to form, was straightforward when he could have easily sidestepped the issue.