The Detroit Lions are a team on the brink. After several up and down seasons, 2013 appears to be the season the Lions put it all together. After making several upgrades on both sides of the ball, certain players look poised to have breakout seasons. As training camp continues on, Brandon Pettigrew is making headlines.
After adding running back Reggie Bush to balance the offense out, players like tight end Pettigrew after able to shine more. The tight end is feeling the best he has since being drafted and is noticing that the addition of Bush is helping everyone in return.
"Guys in coverage, if they're supposed to back off normally but see Reggie, they'll come in," Pettigrew said via All Michigan. "Once he gets the ball in space, he can make a play. So guys don't want to let him get the ball, which opens up stuff for guys down the field."
Pettigrew has worked on his pass-catching abilities in the offseason so he can make a difference with how much more he is open down field. Pettigrew had nine drops last year, tied for third among other tight ends. This is something he focused on more and people are noticing a difference.
"When it comes to having hands, he's a very reliable receiver. And with this offsesaon, with the strength he's put on, and the speed, he's going to go out there and show exactly how talented he is. I'm looking forward to a big year for him," Burleson said.
So far, Bush is doing everything the Detroit Lions were hoping he would do. The running back continues to be a distraction on the field, leaving players like Calvin Johnson and Burleson wide open to make plays. In the team's first preseason game, Johnson was left wide open as the opposing cornerback focused on Bush.
"I went up to Reggie afterwards, [and] I was like, 'Nobody ever drops Calvin for anybody,'" quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "It was kind of awesome having a corner drop Calvin to play Reggie coming out of the backfield. That's kind of the offense that we envisioned, and everybody else doing their part and making plays as well."
