The Lions’ hook-and-ladder touchdown the most creative design so far this NFL season

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson dialed up the creativity for this Lions’ touchdown

Through almost three weeks of the 2024 NFL season, fans have been wondering where all the scoring has gone. Passing touchdowns are down, passing yardage is down, and scoring is down as well.

However, the Detroit Lions found one heck of a way to reach the end zone Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

With time ticking down in the first half against Arizona, Jared Goff and the Lions faced a 1st and 10 at the Cardinals’ 21-yard line. Goff aligned in the shotgun with running back Jahmyr Gibbs standing to his left, and the Lions in a 2×2 formation.

After taking the snap Goff looked to his right, where Amon-Ra St. Brown was running a slant route against a press-aligned defender. Goff put the throw to St. Brown right between the 1 and the 4 on his jersey, and the receiver pulled in the throw and almost immediately flipped it backward.

To Gibbs, who had leaked out of the backfield:

The play completely caught Arizona by surprise, and the running back accelerated upfield, away from the flow of the defense. He picked up a block from tight end Sam LaPorta near the goal line and plunged into the end zone with the creative touchdown.

Here is another look at the hook-and-lateral design, or hook and ladder if you prefer that expression:

Scoring may be down, but that might force more creativity from NFL offenses.

Ben Johnson in Detroit is on it.