Seattle looked pretty great everywhere last night against a team that won 14 games during the regular season and 2 playoff wins.
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If the Rams don’t blow that game in Seattle do the Seahawks even make the Super Bowl.
I don’t think so. In most years the margin between winning the SB and not is so damn finite.
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Seattle was the best team from start to finish and the eye test matched it.
People didnt want to believe in Darnold
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They were an excellent team. But as I mentioned in that very post, they were very cheaply put together at certain spots. What I meant is you can’t stack every position coming into to the season, the league simply doesn’t allow that.
But yes, some of those cheap options that would make us very nervous - like a 2nd year UDFA starting center who had barely take a snap - played very well for them.
If the Seahawks are lucky about anything, it’s that the Rams didn’t have a better secondary.
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I agree with the more zone. I do think we’re too man heavy…. Not to mention zone coverages create more turnover capabilities.
As for the DL you’re asking for more blitz packages …. Which is a common fan desire but more blitz packages also makes your defense more risky to give up the big play. It’s a trade off and my not sure we have the secondary ponies or edge rushers to pull that off. I think that will require some personnel changes.
I mentioned this in another thread. The Lions feel like the Bills of the NFC. Like something is just always missing. Good team but you don’t trust them to get the job done.
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This is a great point and I’m liking this thread more as it gets into scheme. Which I am passionate about.
The Lions run a ton of base defense. Fewer sub packages mainly because we lack the personnel to do it consistently.
BB and Amik are the two guys we move around to mix up coverage packages. Once we drop an injury to an outside CB or BB it seriously hurts are ability to mix it up.
The Lions also lack a quality coverage LBer. This is the main reason (plus his age) I think AA won’t be back. I highly expect us to look for a versatile LBer who has range a sub package capabilities.
Then we will either need Amik back or need to find an adequate slot CB.
Lastly we will need to find a replacement for BB. I honestly do not think we can expect anything from him. Achilles injuries are usually career ending.
If we can fill those holes I would expect the Lions to run a lot less base. Which will make our coverages less predictable.
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I always cheer for the Bills vs anyone but Detroit so I can see the comparisons. Talented teams, that often self implode in important games.
One day they gotta get over the hump right? Maybe? Please? 
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I posted some more in depth stuff in the “last two Super Bowls” thread that goes a bit further into schematics. We sort of have two threads discussing the same thing simultaneously.
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I don’t think it’s “something” like a mysterious missing piece. I also don’t think they’re a team that folds. I think their issues begin on the DL and is compounded by bad secondary play. The injuries that have decimated both the DL and secondary is other-worldly, but even with health there are concerns about the “types” that are playing at DE, DT and DB.
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Have the Lions always done the 3 lbs on the the field this much? Feels like that was a Shep thing.
Also feels like they played more zone late in the season
Oh I know you can’t put 25M per year players at every position. But it hurts you when you put 13M into a part time NT (Reader), then give a 97M extention to a NT you think is Aaron Donald but is more like Donald Duck. Then draft another NT with your 1st round draft pick. This when what you NEED is pass rush, which you couldn’t get with your NT’s the year before. Or your solution to RDE that didn’t work last year, and then again this year. You can’t give an 83M extension to a guy who leads the league in dropped passes.
There are things that just happen. Like Kerby’s injury. Then there is willing paying Reader 13M as a part time NT. That is flat stupid. Counting on Marcus Davenport. Stupid. That gets you bounced from the playoffs and teams like Seattle didn’t do those stupid things. BH did. I’m not disregarding plain ole luck and injuries. But we are NOT “good.”
It was a thing with AG too, although we used it about 14% less in 2024 than in 2025.
That could be injury driven.
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No! I will go ape sh?t if the Lions draft a corner in the 1st of the draft lol
Also, I thinks it’s probably more easier to win a chip before you start handing out big money for 2nd contracts. In other words, the opportunity was good between now and 4 years ago. It becomes harder afterwards
You are correct on both points. I think the zone at the end of the season was two fold. One, injuries. Two DC likely told Shep we have to play more zone because the Legion of Whom isn’t holding up in 95% man. And so it was. JMHO of course.
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But we were building a dynasty so… 
There’s some scheme things I don’t like.
But I don’t think there’s any scheme that overcomes the guys we put on the field on the defense either on purpose or due to injury.
I agree that there will have to be personnel changes or substantial growth from our players to accomplish this. I do expect more growth from TA for this year. But I am not ready to anoint him a proven shut-down CB at this time. Still love the guy. I expect Alim to provide a more consistent rush up the middle this year to assist in quicker/more impactful pressure. I do not believe Hutch and Alim can do what is needed as a duo. (I would love to be wrong about that.)
But I do believe we left our secondary out in a terrible position last year. But Brad can figure if it is better to improve rush to take pressure off of the secondary, improve the secondary to cover for the rush (or lack thereof), or improve the scheme to account for what we have been lacking. Probably a combo of all 3.
We would also require better LBer play to be able to consistently blitz and hide blitz packages.
Not to mention fix the issues at safety.
I guess I’m in the minority…. Where I feel our defense lacks depth. Especially after BB hurt his Achilles.
I feel like that lack of depth is hurting our ability to do more on defense.