2015 DETROIT LIONS MEDIA GUIDE

JOE LOMBARDI
OFFENSIVE
COORDINATOR
Years with Lions: 2
Years in NFL: 10
Joe Lombardi brings 19 years of coaching
experience to the Lions offensive coaching staff,
including nine in the NFL and seven with the New
Orleans Saints (2007-13). After holding various
positions in the college ranks, Lombardi made the
leap to the NFL as a defensive assistant with the
Atlanta Falcons in 2006 before joining the Saints in
2007. He spent his first two years in New Orleans
as an offensive assistant before being promoted
to quarterbacks coach in 2009, where he worked
exclusively with nine-time Pro Bowl QB Drew Brees
for five seasons.
LIONS COACHING HIGHLIGHTS
Took control of the Lions offense in his first
season in Detroit, developing new pieces into a
revamped system that helped set the foundation
for a productive unit led by QB Matthew Stafford.
‣ ¾ For the fifth-consecutive year, the Lions offense
finished among the Top-10 in Lions single-season
history for total offense, ranking eighth with
5,452 total net yards (340.8 yards per game).
‣ ¾ WR Golden Tate was one of the Lions’ top targets
in free agency last offseason, and his impact
on Detroit’s offense was evident in his ability to
create in open space and move the chains. Tate
finished seventh in the NFL in receiving yards
with 1,331 and sixth in receptions with 99. It
marked the first time in his career he eclipsed
1,000 receiving yards.
‣ ¾ With WR Calvin Johnson reaching 1,077 yards
in 2014, he joined Tate (1,331) in the surpassing
of 1,000 yards as they became the first pair of
Lions receivers to both reach 1,000 in the same
season since 2006 (WR Roy Williams, 1,310; WR
Mike Furrey, 1,086). This marks only the sixth
time in Lions history that two Lions receivers
have each reached 1,000 receiving yards in the
same season.
‣ ¾ Thus far, Stafford has led the Lions to 17 victories
when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter
or overtime, five of which came in 2014 under
Lombardi. He has six career game-winning
touchdown passes with less than one minute to
play in the fourth quarter (franchise record) and
six after the two-minute warning.
‣ ¾ Stafford also displayed a knack for leading the
offense on third down as he tied for fifth in the
NFL in third-down completions with 100. He
also threw 10 touchdown passes on third down
last season.
‣ ¾ The Lions totaled 33 offensive touchdowns in
2014 (11 rushing; 22 passing) as 12 different
players accounted for at least one score through
the air or on the ground. Johnson led all receivers
with eight receiving touchdowns, while RB
Joique Bell led the ground attack with seven
rushing touchdowns.
ADDITIONAL COACHING HIGHLIGHTS
‣ ¾ Has spent nine previous seasons coaching in the
NFL with stops in Atlanta as a defensive assistant
in 2006 and New Orleans from 2007-2013.
Began his tenure with the Saints as an offensive
assistant before earning the job as quarterbacks
coach in 2009.
‣ ¾ Mentored nine-time Pro Bowl QB Drew Brees
to a record-breaking season in 2011 as the
quarterback passed for 5,476 yards to break
the NFL-record for single-season passing yards
(5,084) set by Dan Marino in 1984.
‣ ¾ Helped the Saints to the team’s first-ever Super
Bowl victory in his first year as quarterbacks
coach in 2009 as they defeated Indianapolis,
31-17, in Super Bowl XLIV.
‣ ¾ Previous college coaching experience includes
Dayton (1996-98), Virginia Military Institute
(1999), Bucknell (2000) and Mercyhurst College
(2002-05). Also coached with the former XFL’s
New York/New Jersey Hitmen in 2001.
‣ ¾ Grandson of Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi.
While with the Saints, Lombardi helped guide the
New Orleans offense to League-leading numbers.
In Lombardi’s seven seasons, New Orleans ranked
first in net passing yards (33,349), completions
(3,022) and passing touchdowns (257). In his first
season as quarterbacks coach in 2009, the Saints
finished 13-3 and defeated the Indianapolis Colts,
31-17, in Super Bowl XLIV, securing the team’s first
NFL championship in franchise history.
Lombardi’s molding of Brees into one of
the NFL’s all-time great quarterbacks is welldocumented.
From 2009-2013, Brees set the NFL
individual record for most passing yards in a fiveyear
span with 24,823. Under Lombardi’s coaching
for five seasons (2009-13), Brees ranked atop the
League in passing yards (24,823), completions
(2,147), passing touchdowns (195), and his passer
rating of 102.1 ranks third during that span behind
only Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (108.2) and Broncos
QB Peyton Manning (103.1). During his 2009-2012
stretch, Brees also carried an NFL-record 54-game
streak with at least one passing touchdown,
shattering the previous mark of 47 set by Hall of
Fame QB Johnny Unitas in 1960.
In 2011, Brees threw for 5,476 yards and 43
touchdowns to break Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino’s
NFL single-season passing yardage record that
stood for 27 seasons. Only Broncos QB Peyton
Manning has thrown for more yards in a single
season (5,477, 2013) since then. On the NFL’s alltime
single-season passing yards list, Brees holds
four of the Top-10 spots (2008, 7th; 2011, 2nd;
2012, 4th; 2013, 5th). With 5,162 yards in 2013, he
also became the first player in NFL history to throw
for more than 5,000 yards in three-consecutive
DETROIT LIONS
EXECUTIVES AND COACHING