Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

Niyo: No offense, but Lions know where they must grow



John Niyo
The Detroit News



Allen Park — The Lions limped into their midseason bye last week, and Amon-Ra St. Brown will be the first to tell you that break came at just the right time.

A late addition to a lengthy injury report heading into the Halloween eve game against Las Vegas, St. Brown admits now the pain he played through in that win — specifically the illness that left him with blisters on his feet and his hands — was much more than he’d let on.



“It was tough,” St. Brown said Thursday, after the Lions finished up another practice for Sunday’s game against the Chargers in Los Angeles. “In the game, they got worse. I wore socks and gloves, so the blisters kind of got swollen. It felt like I was running on needles. And catching the ball, it hurt a lot, especially toward the end of the game. I was in a lot of pain.”

“But, (expletive), I had to play. I already missed one too many games, and I knew we had a bye week coming up, too. So, I knew I'd be all right."

Detroit Lions Amon-Ra St. Brown needed rest.jpg

And that seems to be the sentiment coming out of the break for the Lions’ offense, which appears to be as healthy as it has been since the season opener in Kansas City.

Running back David Montgomery is expected to return against the Chargers after missing the last two games because of a rib injury. Left guard Jonah Jackson will be back after missing three games due to an ankle injury. And center Frank Ragnow is a full participant in practice again this week after a calf injury kept him out of the lineup against the Raiders.



All of which adds to the feeling that quarterback Jared Goff shared earlier this week when he noted, “there's a lot of meat on the bone” for a 6-2 team that’s in command of the NFC North and in position to make a run at the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.



Because while the Lions’ defense clearly has exceeded preseason expectations thus far, the offense has not. Not yet, anyway.

That may seem like an unfair criticism for a unit that still ranks second in the NFL in total yards through eight games. But it also goes with the territory when you’re pegged as a legitimate playoff contender. And aside from that Week 5 rout of a then-winless Carolina team, Goff says he’d be hard-pressed to find another effort that would qualify as a “complete game” by the Lions.



Same goes for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who spent the bye week catching up on family time, but only after he and the rest of the coaching staff had finished a deep dive self-scouting their work over the first half of the season.

Unlike the previous two years, when the Lions were 0-8 and 1-4 at the break, there was plenty of reason for optimism this time around.



“I think we are getting better on a weekly basis,” Johnson said of the offense. “If you look at it just within the cut-ups, you might be like, ‘Eh.’ But if you look at it chronologically, you feel pretty good about our trajectory right now.”

In fact, the Lions do rank second in the NFL in total offense, based on yardage totals. But beyond the bare-bones totals, there’s definitely some red meat for a coach whose offense finished fifth in the league in scoring last season.



Check the advanced statistics, where the Lions are eighth in points per drive and 11th in expected points added per play this season. Or the more common metrics, where Detroit is 13th in third-down conversions and 25th in red-zone efficiency.

That last statistic is one that tends to vary quite a bit from year to year, as Johnson noted, or even from month to month. The Lions were among the league leaders through their first five games, but have gone 1-for-8 in the red zone in the last three. Detroit’s last outing was particularly brutal: a 1-for-5 effort in the win over Las Vegas.



So, yes, it’s an area of emphasis coming out of the bye, eliminating some of the miscues that left the Lions settling for field goals, or worse, instead of touchdowns.

Against the Raiders, the Lions’ first red-zone trip was derailed by a holding penalty and a negative run. Their second try went the wrong way on a failed gadget play, and the other two failures were because of a fumble and another holding penalty.



“We’ve been going backward too much as opposed to going forward,” Johnson said. “We’ve had too many negative plays, particularly when we get from the 12-yard line on in. … That’s really what’s killing us at the end of the day. So, we’ll get that solved and hopefully, we’ll find more success down there.”

Again, a healthy lineup should help immensely. The Lions’ offensive line is arguably the strength of this team, but they were forced to use seven different line combinations in the first eight games. Montgomery had six rushing touchdowns in the first month of the season, and five of those came from inside the 10. Now he'll rejoin rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, who's coming off a breakout game against the Raiders.



And while Johnson won’t use any of that as an excuse, even he’ll acknowledge, “I’m certainly excited to get some reinforcements back this week.”

But that only reinforces the point here: If the Lions are going to get where they're trying to go, they'll still need the offense to lead the way.



john.niyo@detroitnews.com

@JohnNiyo

[whatever_gong82]

Here's what Lions OC Ben Johnson thinks Donovan Peoples-Jones can bring to team's offense



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Allen Park — Apparently, Donovan Peoples-Jones is going to let his play do the talking.

The newest Detroit Lions wide receiver met with local media for the first time since being traded to his hometown team at last week's deadline and kept his answers short and sweet, declining to provide any insight on why his production had sharply declined this season in Cleveland.

Donovan Peoples-Jones hopes to help out Detroit Lions.jpg


Instead, he kept focus on his future. And if there was one thing he made clear in the four-minute chat is he considers the opportunity ahead to be a blessing.

"I'm blessed to be here with this team, in this moment, right now," Peoples-Jones said. "They're doing an amazing job and I'm blessed to be a part of it."



His coordinator, Ben Johnson, is still familiarizing himself with the new addition. But as he weighs what Peoples-Jones can add to Detroit's offense, he's already built a baseline understanding after scouting the receiver when he was coming into the league out of Michigan.

"I really liked his tape coming out of there," Johnson said. "I actually think he fell in the draft a little further than what a guy of his skillset might. I mean you’re talking about 6-2, 210 (pounds) and can run under a 4.5 (40-yard dash). Those guys don’t grow on trees. So far, what we’ve seen from him is exactly that.



"(He's a) really fluid route runner, strong hands, big catch radius and I think he can work both outside and inside," Johnson continued. "And probably, even better than that at least from my perspective, is everyone talks about how smart he is. And so, that’s something that we really need in that room. We ask a lot out of our guys lining up in different areas and being very detailed. I think he’ll fit in really nicely."

The good news is Johnson's voluminous playbook is condensed weekly to only a couple dozen formations, if that, which allows his players to play fast. But that approach should also accelerate Peoples-Jones' acclimation. The player agreed and said he's hopeful about his ability to contribute quickly.



With the skillset highlighted by Johnson, it would seem Peoples-Jones could provide a boost to Detroit's sluggish red-zone offense, which has found the end zone just once in eight trips its past three games.

"No question," Johnson said. "Yeah, red zone, he makes some plays down the field, in the open field as well, so looking forward to getting him out there."



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Is this Detroit Lions season real yet? Or still surreal? 'We haven't done anything yet.'


Shawn Windsor
Detroit Free Press


Admit it, the Detroit Lions’ bye week never felt longer.

They’re 6-2, first place in their division, second place in the NFC, set to get their starting running back and center back, and just added Donovan Peoples-Jones.



No, he’s not a star, but the Lions don’t necessarily need one in the receivers’ room. They did, however, need someone with size who could help in the red zone, who should help down the field, over the middle, on the edges.

Plus, he catches the ball.



His arrival gives Jared Goff a different kind of target than he has had, and Ben Johnson another interesting piece on the chess board. This should only help an offense that’s been mostly good, except in the red zone.

So, to recap: A week off to rest, heal and self-scout; a few returning difference-makers with perhaps more on the way; an addition in the receiving room; and a coaching staff that believes this football team hasn’t come close to playing its best football.

Dan Campbell and Levi Onwuzurike 9-24-2023.jpg

Oh, and did I mention the 6-2 record?

Because Jared Goff did, and while the Lions quarterback didn’t dismiss the record earlier this week when he met with reporters — “yeah, we’re 6-2 and feel good about it” — he wanted to remind everyone that …



“... we haven’t done anything yet.”

Yes, this is what serious-minded quarterbacks are supposed to say, especially ones that have been to a Super Bowl, and truly understand how long the season is, and how much it can change from one half to the next.



Yeah, yeah, the Lions haven’t technically played half their season yet. That’ll happen this Sunday in Los Angeles, where they take on the Chargers, and Justin Herbert, one of the anointed ones because big arm, big athlete, look at those throws, wow!

The Chargers also have a Bosa, and Bosas don’t like quarterbacks, especially ones that play for teams other than their own, and Goff will probably have to dance a bit in the pocket to find an extra split second here and there on third down.


Los Angeles is a solid team. I know, I know, that says nothing. Then again, the Chargers are 4-4, so I’d say “solid” is pretty apt, except that they’ve given a couple of good teams good games in their losses, including the Cowboys and Dolphins, and they just smacked the Jets, 27-6, a team that may be without a quarterback, but a team that’s not prone to giving up 27 points.

In any case, it’s probably best to toss all this transitive property business, the father of my uncle is not your great grandfather, or whatever you say when one team beats another team that beat you. The point is, the Lions have a challenging task on Sunday.



A loss puts them at, you guessed it, 6-3 and if the Vikings — yes, those Vikings — beat the Saints in Minneapolis, they will move to 6-4, a game back in the loss column if my numbers are correct. A little close for comfort?



Absolutely, mostly because you thought the Vikings were dead, finito, playing the sad-song string in kind little Minnesota, a team that used all its magic up a year ago what with those miracle finishes. Well, the Vikings are here, even though Kirk Cousins is not, and as Goff clearly stated several paragraphs ago:

The. Lions. Haven’t. Done. Anything.


And that brings us to expectations, and where they are now, and where they were back in August, and how in the world is it possible that almost everyone expects the Lions to go 6-3 to finish this out.

At minimum.


And that's a conservative expectation. Go 7-2 and the Lions are a 13-win team, and almost no one — not even the much smarter football folks at this newspaper — predicted that.



This is where things are though, yes? That 12 wins will feel like a slight letdown?

Goff and his coach, Dan Campbell, aren’t ready to talk about numbers yet, and probably won’t until it’s safe to look back. But it’s not hard to hear expectation in their voices, too. Ok, maybe Campbell’s expectation sounds more like a directive — darn those declarative sentences.



“I know this,” he began one earlier this week, “by December, we need to be playing our best football. We still have left so much out there and as good as we played to get six wins … I would say we have not played our best football collectively, offense, defense and special teams.”

Who am I to argue with anything that Mr. Campbell says these days, even as he said during training camp that he was a regular guy or some such thing. Yeah, right. Charles Barkley never said he wanted to play football until he watched you.


Jared Goff vs Las Vegas Raiders_10-30-2023.jpg

But we press on, as the Lions are getting ready to begin the back half (sorta) of their most promising season in recent memory. They’ve got three games in 11 days — at the Chargers, home for the Bears, home for the Packers on Thanksgiving.

They should be 2-1 at the least and could easily be 3-0. Look at the one with expectations now!



Let’s say that happens, and they sweep their three-game, 11-day stretch, and move to 9-2, a number that would, in normal times, suggest the End Times, or at least a tectonic shift. But in these new times? These Lions should-casually-travel-west-and-win times?

Nine-and-2 doesn’t seem shocking at all. This is how much the perspective has changed in basically two months. Think about this for a moment. Think about where this team was a year ago, starting the season 2-6, so many wondering if the head coach knew more about Metallica than he did cover two.


And now 9-2 is out there? And doesn’t seem so unreasonable?

If you know your history, and I assume you do, because these are the Lions, and that’s all you’ve had is history, then you will recall that the last time the Lions started a season 9-2 was 1962.



So, yes, it’s rare, but then I don’t need to tell you that. Instead, I’m here to tell you this: winning the NFC North isn’t a forgone conclusion, though losing it would be painful at this point. Also, it’s kinda fun when a season begins with one level of expectation and by the (almost) midway point that expectation turns into something new.


Surreal, right?

It’ll mean even more when it’s just plain real.


Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him@shawnwindsor.


Next up: Chargers

Matchup: Lions (6-2) at L.A. Chargers (4-4).

Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. Sunday; SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California.

TV/radio: CBS; WXYT-FM (97.1).

Line: Lions by 3.

[whatever_gong82]

Amon-Ra St. Brown battled blisters in last game: 'Felt like I was running on needles'



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


Amon-Ra St. Brown never really considered not playing, but the illness he was dealing with before the Detroit Lions' Monday night game against the Las Vegas Raiders left him in severe pain on the field.

"It was tough," St. Brown said Thursday. "I had blisters on my feet, on my hands, on my mouth, so like, before the game my hands and feet weren’t really hurting, they were hurting a little, but in the game it got worse and I wore socks and gloves and whatever so the blisters kind of got swollen. And so I felt like I was running on needles."



St. Brown, who was downgraded to questionable the day before the game, said he did not want to miss a game for the second time this year after sitting out a Week 5 win over the Carolina Panthers with an abdominal injury.

St. Brown finished with six catches for a game-high 108 yards receiving against the Raiders, his third straight 100-yard game.


Detroit Lions Amon-Ra St. Brown runs 10-30-2023.jpg


He leads the Lions with 57 catches and 665 yards receiving, and is on pace for career-highs in both categories.

"Catching the ball, it hurt a lot," St. Brown said. "Especially towards the end of the game I was in a lot of pain. But I mean, shoot, I had to play. I already missed one too many games. I knew we had a bye week coming up, too, so I was like I can just push through the game and I’ll be all right."



St. Brown said the blisters healed with rest after the bye. He's been a full participant in practice this week.

"It was hurting a lot, but I was able to get through it," he said. "But yeah, I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy."



Peoples mover


Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said he expects new wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones to help the Lions as a red zone and downfield threat.


"You’re talking about 6-2, 210 and can run under a 4.5, so those guys don’t grow on trees and I think so far what we’ve seen from him is exactly that," Johnson said. "Really fluid route runner, strong hands, big catch radius. And I think he can work both outside and inside."


Donovan Peoples-Jones 9-24-2023.jpg

Acquired from the Cleveland Browns at last week's trade deadline, Peoples-Jones had just eight catches for 97 yards in seven games with the Browns this season after catching a career-high 61 passes in 2022.



He said little about his time in Cleveland during his first interview with Detroit reporters Thursday — "I’m here, I'm focused on Detroit and moving forward," he said — but said he hopes to have an immediate impact with the Lions, where he'll play as the No. 4 or 5 receiver behind St. Brown, Josh Reynolds Kalif Raymond and maybe Jameson Williams.

"I'm blessed to be here with this team at this moment right now," Peoples-Jones said. "They’re doing an amazing job and I'm blessed to be a part of it."


Briefly


Peoples-Jones was listed as a limited participant on the Lions' practice report Thursday for the second straight day because of a rib injury. Offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai (back) and defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike (hip) did not practice, and Dan Skipper was limited with a rib injury.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

[edindetroit]

Amon-Ra St. Brown battled blisters in last game: 'Felt like I was running on needles'



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


Amon-Ra St. Brown never really considered not playing, but the illness he was dealing with before the Detroit Lions' Monday night game against the Las Vegas Raiders left him in severe pain on the field.

"It was tough," St. Brown said Thursday. "I had blisters on my feet, on my hands, on my mouth, so like, before the game my hands and feet weren’t really hurting, they were hurting a little, but in the game it got worse and I wore socks and gloves and whatever so the blisters kind of got swollen. And so I felt like I was running on needles."



St. Brown, who was downgraded to questionable the day before the game, said he did not want to miss a game for the second time this year after sitting out a Week 5 win over the Carolina Panthers with an abdominal injury.

St. Brown finished with six catches for a game-high 108 yards receiving against the Raiders, his third straight 100-yard game.


Detroit Lions Amon-Ra St. Brown runs 10-30-2023.jpg


He leads the Lions with 57 catches and 665 yards receiving, and is on pace for career-highs in both categories.

"Catching the ball, it hurt a lot," St. Brown said. "Especially towards the end of the game I was in a lot of pain. But I mean, shoot, I had to play. I already missed one too many games. I knew we had a bye week coming up, too, so I was like I can just push through the game and I’ll be all right."



St. Brown said the blisters healed with rest after the bye. He's been a full participant in practice this week.

"It was hurting a lot, but I was able to get through it," he said. "But yeah, I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy."



Peoples mover


Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said he expects new wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones to help the Lions as a red zone and downfield threat.


"You’re talking about 6-2, 210 and can run under a 4.5, so those guys don’t grow on trees and I think so far what we’ve seen from him is exactly that," Johnson said. "Really fluid route runner, strong hands, big catch radius. And I think he can work both outside and inside."


Donovan Peoples-Jones 9-24-2023.jpg

Acquired from the Cleveland Browns at last week's trade deadline, Peoples-Jones had just eight catches for 97 yards in seven games with the Browns this season after catching a career-high 61 passes in 2022.



He said little about his time in Cleveland during his first interview with Detroit reporters Thursday — "I’m here, I'm focused on Detroit and moving forward," he said — but said he hopes to have an immediate impact with the Lions, where he'll play as the No. 4 or 5 receiver behind St. Brown, Josh Reynolds Kalif Raymond and maybe Jameson Williams.

"I'm blessed to be here with this team at this moment right now," Peoples-Jones said. "They’re doing an amazing job and I'm blessed to be a part of it."


Briefly


Peoples-Jones was listed as a limited participant on the Lions' practice report Thursday for the second straight day because of a rib injury. Offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai (back) and defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike (hip) did not practice, and Dan Skipper was limited with a rib injury.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

The heck did St Brown get that causes blisters all over the place?

[whatever_gong82]

Ten stats that define the Lions: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery bring the power

Detroit Lions player #26_10-30-2023.jpg

By Colton Pouncy
Nov 9, 2023


The Detroit Lions are 6-2, first in the NFC North and second in the NFC. They’ve gotten off to the kind of start they’ve been hoping for, and the coaching staff’s aspirations of molding this franchise into a contender are starting to come to fruition.

So, then, how have the Lions gotten it done?

Here are 10 stats that help explain the Lions at midseason.


1. The new RB duo has been as advertised


Jahmyr Gibbs has been everything the Lions have wanted. It’s taken some time, as the coaching staff has slowly brought him along. But he’s been one of the most explosive runners in the NFL when he’s played.

Per Sumer Sports, Gibbs has the highest explosive run rate and the lowest negative run rate among RBs with at least 60 rushes. That means he’s giving the Lions explosive runs without being stopped for a loss often. Heading into Week 9, Gibbs ranked fourth among rushers in broken tackles (defined as tackles avoided via physicality as opposed to agility) with 13, per Sports Info Solutions. Gibbs’ Pro Football Focus breakaway percentage of 36.3 ranks ninth in the league. Gibbs ranks 10th in the NFL in yards after contact per rush, averaging 3.24 yards, per TruMedia (minimum 50 rushes). That’s a sign he’s giving the Lions more than the offensive line has produced. And if you’re into the more traditional rushing stats, Gibbs ranks fifth in the NFL in yards per rush at 5.3 (minimum 50 rushes).


David Montgomery, meanwhile, has been a perfect running mate for Gibbs. He’s given the Lions tough yards between the tackles. He has six rushing touchdowns in just five games played. PFF has him at 22 missed tackles forced, good for 10th in the NFL despite playing three to four fewer games than the other nine backs ahead of him. He’s been the real deal.

When the Lions talked about their desire to improve the run game behind one of the league’s better offensive lines, this was the vision. Gibbs and Montgomery have been great for this team.



2. Sam LaPorta has made all the difference


LaPorta is making history as a rookie tight end. Just look at the numbers.

There was plenty of talk this offseason about whether the Lions had enough pass catchers. But those who witnessed training camp could speak to LaPorta’s potential in this offense, based on how often the Lions looked to get him the ball then. He was quarterback Jared Goff’s second-favorite target in camp and that hasn’t changed this season. Through eight games, LaPorta is fourth among tight ends in receptions (43), tied for third in touchdowns (three) and tied for fifth in receiving yards (434).

Only two rookie tight ends since 2000 have made the Pro Bowl: Kyle Pitts with the Falcons (2021) and Jeremy Shockey with the Giants (2002). LaPorta is on pace to become the third. He’s been huge for this offense.



3. Explosive plays have given the offense a boost


The Lions have been one of the league’s more explosive offenses this year. They rank third in the NFL in plays of 10 or more yards per game with 14 on average, trailing only the Dolphins and 49ers. They’re tied for second with 41 plays of 20 or more yards, and average 5.13 per game. Goff’s 35 completions of 20 or more yards rank second, and Detroit’s six runs of 20 or more yards rank ninth.

That the Lions have done this with their best downfield threat, Jameson Williams, struggling to get going is all the more impressive. If they can get him on the right track, this offense has a chance to be even more dangerous.



4. Red-zone issues have hurt Detroit’s efficiency


The Lions are struggling in the red zone. On both sides.

On offense, the Lions have turned red-zone trips into touchdowns only 48.1 percent of the time, the eighth-lowest rate in the NFL. On defense, the Lions have allowed touchdowns in the red zone 65.4 percent of the time — the seventh-highest rate. It’s something Campbell referenced when discussing weaknesses he saw during his self-scout.



However, there might be an explanation for Detroit’s red-zone issues. The Lions run the ball in the red zone 65.4 percent of the time. That’s the second-highest rate in the NFL, trailing only the Eagles. From Weeks 1-6, the Lions’ red-zone TD percentage ranked 13th in the league at 57.1 percent. Still not top 10, but much better than the current ranking. But Montgomery — who has done damage as a goal-to-go back — missed Week 7 and 8 contests versus the Ravens and Raiders. Perhaps it’s no coincidence the Lions’ TD percentage plummeted to 16.7 percent — 31st in the NFL during that span. Jonah Jackson and Frank Ragnow missing time probably didn’t help, either. All three are trending toward playing this week.



Defensively, the Lions deserve some credit. Every touchdown they’ve allowed this season has come in the red zone, which speaks to their ability to make offenses work for the points they’re scoring. Same time, you’d want your defense to tighten up in that area and hold teams to more field goals.

So, yes. The Lions need to be more efficient.



5. Third-quarter scoring is a problem


Detroit ranks 20th in third-quarter scoring at 3.5 points. It has outscored its opponents in the first quarter (plus-27 for the season), second quarter (plus-13) and fourth quarter (plus-11) but has a negative point differential (minus-10) in the third quarter. The Lions have scored on just 12 percent of their third-quarter possessions — last in the NFL.

Campbell also singled out this area as something to work on.

Detroit Lions Alim McNeill_10-30-2023.jpg

6. The Lions are a much-improved defense


The Detroit Lions — yes, those Lions — are amid an impressive defensive turnaround.

The Lions have allowed the fifth-fewest yards per game on average this season, giving up 296.9 yards. They allowed the most yards per game in the league last year. The Lions are allowing 20.6 points per game this season, checking in at 14th. They allowed 25.1 points per game in 2022. That ranked 28th.



There are several players worthy of praise. Aidan Hutchinson has taken the leap this year, ranking third in the NFL in pressures. Alim McNeill is having a Pro Bowl-caliber season in his third year. Linebackers Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes have been much improved, rookie Brian Branch has been one of the better defensive backs in the league and other contributors have been steady in their roles. It’s been a collective effort.



7. Run defense has been key


If there’s one area of improvement worth singling out, it’s Detroit’s run defense. A year ago, the Lions ranked 29th in rushing yards per game, allowing an average of 146.5. Most remember the Panthers’ 320 rushing yards on Christmas Eve — an effort that effectively ended Detroit’s playoff push. But this unit has done a complete 180 this year.

In 2023, the Lions are allowing just 76.8 rushing yards per game. That’s second in the NFL behind the Eagles. They’ve allowed just five runs of 12 or more yards this season (fewest in the league).


8. Pass rush is still a work in progress


The Lions’ pass rush has been hit or miss this year. They average 2.7 sacks per game, good for 15th in the league. But those sacks have come in bunches. Of Detroit’s 21 sacks, 18 have come in three games. They have just three combined in the other five games played. Their sack rate of 7.0 percent ranks 21st, per TruMedia.



In terms of pressure stats, the Lions have the fourth-highest pressure rate in the league at 41.1 percent. However, it’s taking a while for those pressures to be generated. Detroit’s average time to pressure of 2.61 is the fifth-slowest in the NFL. Additionally, its average time to sack of 3.81 seconds is the eighth-slowest, and the Lions are allowing opposing quarterbacks 2.99 seconds to throw on average — third-slowest in the league.

So, while the Lions have been middle of the pack in sack production, the underlying metrics suggest there’s work to be done. Perhaps the potential return of James Houston could give the pass rush a boost before the playoffs.



9. Coverage change leading to success


The Lions, known last year as a man-heavy secondary, have shifted their defensive philosophy this season.



A year ago, the Lions played man coverage 35.9 percent of the time (third-most) and zone coverage 58 percent of the time (third-fewest). The results weren’t great, as Detroit allowed the third-most yards per game through the air. This year, though, the Lions are playing man coverage 22.7 percent of the time (16th) and zone coverage 73.2 percent of the time (12th).

The shift has clearly led to success. The Lions are allowing 220.1 passing yards per game (15th) and 6.3 yards per attempt (11th). Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 84.5 against the Lions, which is the 11th-lowest rating in the NFL. They also have an EPA per dropback of 0.04 versus the Lions — seventh-best in the league. While the Lions have played without C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Emmanuel Moseley, the group in place has been able to get it done. Credit defensive backs Cam Sutton, Kerby Joseph, Jerry Jacobs, Branch and Tracy Walker.



10. Defense getting it done without splash plays


A defensive splash play is defined as the following, per TruMedia: a sack, TFL, pressure leading to throw away, run and pass stuffs, interceptions, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries, passes defended and stops on third and fourth down. The Lions rank second-to-last in splash plays with just 148.

Detroit has lacked the game-changing splash plays that led to its defensive turnaround in the second half of the 2022 season. From Weeks 9-18 last year, the Lions ranked fifth in splash plays with 218. They’ve struggled to match that pace this year. Between this and the subpar pass rush, it’s clear the Lions are a tier below some of the better defenses in the NFL.

If Joseph can get going, Hutchinson can turn some of those pressures into sacks and the Lions get some of their injured defenders back late in the year, things could come together. However, even without that, the Lions are still getting it done.



Colton Pouncy is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Lions. He previously covered Michigan State football and basketball for the company, and covered sports for The Tennessean in Nashville prior to joining The Athletic. Follow Colton on Twitter @colton_pouncy

[whatever_gong82]

[whatever_gong82]

[jaadam4]

I still can’t believe they traded up for Broderick Martin. Seems like a Quinn reach but I hope the kid makes him look like a genius. He seems like a nice kid.

The story about him running several flights of stairs on draft day as he was a surprise pick is a good one

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions' red zone woes mostly self-inflicted: 'We'll get it worked out'



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press

Jared Goff vs Las Vegas Raiders_10-30-2023.jpg

The Detroit Lions finished fourth in the NFL in red zone offense last season, scoring touchdowns on nearly 70% of their trips inside their opponents' 20-yard line.

So when the team's analytics department informed offensive coordinator Ben Johnson after the season that number likely would decline this year based on the historical variance of the stat, Johnson took it as a challenge.


"I was like, 'You’re saying we can’t be good again?' " Johnson said Thursday. "Maybe they’re right so far."


The Lions have fallen to near the bottom of the NFL in red zone offense, as their 48.2% TD rate is tied for 24th in the league. And as they look to build on their 6-2 start when they open the second half of the season Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, red zone offense and defense are areas Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn have singled out for improvement.

On offense, the Lions have scored one touchdown in their past eight trips to the red zone, a span that covers three games. The Lions have four field goals, one missed field goal, a fumble and a turnover on downs in the other seven possessions to break the 20.

Jared Goff talks to a NFL referee_10-30-2023.jpg

Defensively, the Lions have given up points on 13 straight red zone possessions, dating back to a Week 5 win over the Carolina Panthers, with eight touchdowns and five field goals allowed.

"We’ve got to do a better job in the red zone," Glenn lamented. "And we as coaches, and the players, understand that that’s a joint effort between all of us. And that’s something that we’ve talked about quite a bit coming back from the bye of getting better at that."


Detroit Lions players Derrick Barnes and Aidan Hutchinson.jpg
For the season, the Lions rank 26th in the NFL in red zone defense. They've allowed 25 scores on 26 red zone possessions and 11 touchdowns in 13 goal-to-go situations, but they have not given up an offensive score longer than 18 yards.

Glenn said a lack of execution has been his defense's biggest issue in the red zone, both by players and coaches.



"I have to make sure I put these guys in good positions and they have to go out there and execute, and that’s how I’m always going to look at it," he said. "No matter what happens, the first person I’ll look at is myself when things are not happening the right way, and then I talk to the players about that and then the players look at themselves as far as (to) execute."

Offensively, the Lions might be slightly better in the red zone than their numbers indicate. Twice they've ended games with kneel-downs inside their opponent's 20.



But the struggles they've had have often been self-inflicted.

They scored touchdowns on four of their first five red zone trips this year, but also have two red zone turnovers (fumbles by Marvin Jones and Craig Reynolds), a missed field goal and an inordinate amount of negative plays near the goal line.


In their Week 8 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, seven of the Lions' 10 snaps inside the Raiders' 10 (not including a delay-of-game when they were trying to draw the Raiders offsides) went for a loss or no gain. Reynolds lost a fumble at the 3-yard line, Amon-Ra St. Brown took a sack on a trick play and Taylor Decker and Dan Skipper committed drive-stalling penalties.

"We’ll get it worked out and we’ll be in good shape," Johnson said. "The guys understand. Just like any issue that we’ve had, you bring it to their attention, they dive into it and normally we’re pretty good about it."



If they get good in the red zone again, the Lions — who, again, still have only two losses — will be even tougher to beat in the second half of the season and Johnson can head back to the analytics department with a see-what-we-did grin on his face.

"We have a philosophy that we adhered to last year and we’re attempting to adhere to again this year, and the guys are aware of it," he said. "We’ve been going backwards too much as opposed to going forward. We’ve had too many negative plays, particularly when we get to the 12-yard line on in. I think we’ve had like 50 plays and 10 of them have ended up going backwards, which that’s really what’s killing us at the end of the day. So we’ll get that solved and hopefully we’ll find more success down there."


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

[Trickalicious]

Forgive negative Nancy here, but the epiphany of red zone offensive struggles is "We're going backwards too much as opposed to going forward." ? Mind blown.

[-Deborah-]

The heck did St Brown get that causes blisters all over the place?

Hand, foot, mouth disease?

[jaadam4]

Hand, foot, mouth disease?

I was wondering that myself but whatever it was for him to acknowledge the pain you know it’s real

[jaadam4]

He’s a tough mofo

[kayrone]

The Detroit Lions Are Looking Scary. Their Halloween “Monster Bash” Was Even Scarier | GQ

so cool - thank you for this! I had no idea that Okwara was a professional photographer or a Dead Head 💙 - I just wish there were more captions with the photos, because there are a bunch that I don't recognize.