Nov 12, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) reacts during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Lions defense was always the question coming into 2023. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has the offense humming. The elite offensive line with Jared Goff, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Amon-Ra St. Brown have shown they can put up big points. The defense is always the question. How worried should fans be about the defense?
Detroit Lions Defense: Good Individual Talent
The Lions do have talent on the defensive side of the ball. Aidan Hutchinson is one of the best young pass-rushers in the game. Kerby Joseph was a great draft pick last year at the safety position and Brian Branch was this year’s gem. Cam Sutton has played well and the team is hoping that C.J. Gardner Johnson can make a comeback for playoff time. It isn’t that they don’t have great players but it feels like they are one or two playmakers short. Their defensive rankings support this idea.
Detroit Lions Defense Rankings
In total defense, the Lions rank 9th in the league but it is skewed because of their great rushing defense. They are only allowing 79.1 yards per game on the ground which is 3rd in the league. However, their passing defense is all the way down at 20th in the league and the scoring defense is 21st as they give up an average of 22.6 points per game. It is a mixed bag of good and bad which accurately describes the state of this defense. There’s a lot of good but at times it looks like a clear weakness on the team. However, there are some deeper stats that point to a better unit.
Stats To Know For The Defense
I want to point out in the points per game that the Lions have given up 38, 38, and 37 in three of the games. The fact that they are only averaging giving up 22.6 speaks to how good they are in the other games. The Lions have also been decent on third down giving up a percentage of 39.7. While this isn’t tops in the league, it is far from the worst. If six out of ten times a defense gets off the field on third down, that is usually a recipe for winning. It is worth noting that they are also in the middle of the pack in sacks (21) and interceptions (8).
The point I am trying to make is that the defense is not the liability it seems. Giving up a ton of points to Lamar Jackson and the Ravens is totally understandable. The same thing for this past week with Justin Herbert. These types of games happen in the regular season. Shootouts happen during the season. Even the Cleveland Browns defense who has been near historic this season gave up 30+ to the Ravens on Sunday. What gives me confidence for the Lions heading into the playoffs is the elite offense and the presence of defensive playmakers.
Can The Defense Have Success In The Playoffs?
The real question for the Detroit Lions defense is whether they can perform when it counts. I’m confident for a couple of reasons. The offense has shown that they can score in bunches. This takes a lot of pressure off of a defense. Imagine being the New York Jets defense. There is so much pressure to not give up any points as any deficit could spell doom for the team. This is not the case for the Detroit Lions defense. They can give up 28 points and still win handily.
The defensive playmakers on the squad also give me confidence. Playoff defense often comes down to a couple of players making a couple of plays. A timely strip sack by Hutchinson or another interception for the young safety Joseph has the potential to swing the game in a big way. Even if the team struggles to stop the opponents’ offense consistently, the playoffs often come down to a couple of plays. The Lions have shown that they can get a couple of big plays out of their defense.
A Weak NFC Helps
Another big advantage for the Lions is the weakness of the NFC. At this point, the Philadelphia Eagles would be the only team that truly scares me. The Cowboys have a good offense and defense but their playoff history makes me dubious of a run. Any team in the NFC South doesn’t scare me and the Seahawks have looked like a fun team with deep flaws. The Lions have the tools and a coaching staff that is going to be aggressive in winning games. The Detroit Lions defense may not be perfect but it has enough to get the team to a Super Bowl.
