To say that the Detroit Lions lack a pass rush wouldn’t be a surprise to any Lions fan. To say that the Lions’ defense as a unit would also not catch anyone off guard. Collectively, the Lions QB pressures, or lack of (as many would tell you) are one of the biggest talking points, so let’s start there. Pressures count the total number of quarterback hits, knockdowns, and sacks; simply put, the more pressures generated correlate to a higher probability of a mistake made (turnover or off-target throw). Yes, sacks are nice, but they are not everything. Aidan Hutchinson leads the Lions with 63 QB pressures, which ranks as the fourth-most in the NFL. Second on the team is Alim McNeill, who has generated 30 pressures on the season – nine of which have come within the last two games (4 vs. Chicago, 5 vs. Green Bay).
Of the Top 50 qualifying interior defensive linemen, McNeill’s 30 pressures are tied for the 13th-most generated quarterback pressures in the league. The Lions have generated a total of 234 pressures on the season, and as the 16th-ranked pass-rushing defense, per PFF; that’s not terrible- but, focusing on pressures doesn’t tell the full story of the Lions’ pass-rushing woes, because the Lions are generating pressures, contrary to popular belief.
Pressures generated per PFF’s Top 5 Pass Rush Defenses
1. San Francisco 49ers – 257
2. Dallas Cowboys – 255
3. Cleveland Browns – 213
4. Miami Dolphins – 226
5. Philadelphia Eagles – 251
With 234 pressures, the Lions have more than both the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins – which might be a head-scratcher, to some. The Lions’ defensive line is not getting home to collect QB sacks, as they are 27th in the league with just 23 on the season (SF – 33, DAL – 37, CLE – 34, MIA – 38, PHI – 32) and sit as the 24th-ranked defense in forced turnover percentage with just 10.3%, and have allowed the 14th-most drives ending with an offensive score with 37.6%. We know that sacks are not everything, as a good complement to solid QB pressure is having a competent coverage scheme.
Coverage grades for Top 5 pass-rush defenses, per PFF
1. San Francisco 49ers – 91.5
2. Dallas Cowboys – 90.7
3. Cleveland Browns – 78.3
4. Miami Dolphins – 89.9
5. Philadelphia Eagles – 62.9
As we know, aside from sacks, pressures aid in the assistance of quarterback mistakes, as long as the coverage is good, and the team can force turnovers -neither of which the Lions are doing. For context, the Eagles’ 62.9 coverage grade is 25th in the NFL; the Lions are 61.2 at 26th. While Aaron Glenn’s defense is allowing just the 16th-most passing yards per game with 227.5, the defense is allowing an average of 1.73 passing TDs per game, which is the sixth-highest in the league. We will just skip over talking about interceptions as Jerry Jacobs is leading the Lions with 3 and has not picked off an opposing quarterback since Bryce Young in Week 5.
A tale of two stories.
The Detroit Lions have the 5th-lowest amount of defensive penalties this season (56), but 27 (48%) of those have resulted in a first down for the opposing offense. #OnePride pic.twitter.com/f5LqGtBZXd
— Detroit Lions on Tap (@LionsOnTap) November 27, 2023
Glenn’s defense may be struggling, but they are playing clean…ish. The defense has been penalized just 56 times throughout the season (fifth-fewest); however, they are tied for a league-worst 27 resulting in a first down. Now, whether fans want to blame the referees or debate on “good penalties” that could have saved a touchdown is for another day. It needs to be cleaned up and addressed by Glenn and the coaching staff. On the other hand, the Minnesota Vikings defense is the most penalized in the league with 87 through 12 games, but have just 10 of those penalties resulting in a first down, per Pro-Football Reference.
Anyone who has played organized sports in their life has heard this phrase countless amounts of time from their coach: “It’s the little things,” and for this Lions team, that’s what it boils down to, the little things. Things like missed tackles, where the Lions have 76 on the season, the seventh-most, or tackles for loss where they are 25th in the league with 48. As the Lions head into the latter stage of this regular season with only six games remaining, now is the time to clean up those little things, and it starts on Sunday in New Orleans.