Without Calvin Johnson last season, the Detroit Lions were among the worst teams in the league at catching passes in 2016. They ranked third-to-last with 28 drops last year, and at no time were the drop problems more obvious than in the team’s playoff loss to the Seahawks, in which the Lions dropped four passes in a 26-6 loss.
Now, the Lions are fighting their case of the drops with technology—strobe glasses.
From the Detroit Free Press:
Lions coach Jim Caldwell said after practice Tuesday some of his receivers are using strobe technology eyewear to help curtail their drop problems.
“Some of our guys are using those (glasses) that cut off your vision for a moment and when you reignite it, you can see and make you really concentrate a little bit harder,” Caldwell said. “We’re doing a lot of different things that way. (Wide receivers coach) Robert Prince and some of those guys that are doing a great job with our guys getting them ready are going to make certain we don’t let some of those opportunities slip by us like we did last year.”
Nike has goggles like this, and while it’s unclear if they’re the same ones the Lions are using, you can get a sense of how they work. (WARNING: If you have epilepsy or are prone to seizures, do not watch the video.)
Will these help? It’s really tough to say. Caldwell admitted as much to the Free Press, saying “the proof is in the pudding.” But the Lions might as well try something so they don’t have a repeat of last year.
