The Lions have guys who are versatile. But no one does anything well. No sack guys. No coverage guys. Just guys that can do a lot of things but nothing really well. I feel the starters can be versatile. But the rotation guys have to be great at something. Or it should be vice versa. But plugging guys who are just average at everything is just…what we watch. Thats why NE’s defense usually is good. They have pass rushers, run stuffers then, they have versatile guys like Flowers. What say you??
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I think we could use some big talent. I think they’ve tried to build depth. Very one-dimensional philosophy, on D. Everyone is hating it. The whole idea o having position versatility is so that you can do many things on D, and adjust to what the other team does. We have been incredibly vanilla though. I feel like Defensive strategy is our biggest weakness. We need a Bevell-type upgrade for the D, IMO.
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Is Rivera a defensive guy?
Yes!
Need to replace Melvin. That’s P1.
Oruwariye looked like Melvin Jr yesterday. Not interested in seeing that anymore.
People have complained about the defense’s communication this year, it was clearly lacking yesterday. There were numerous plays in the 1st half where our LB’s are looking back with an expectation that the Safeties are dropping, just to see they’re in the zone the LB is moving in to fill.
Guys want answers. They want changes. I understand that, but you have to have horses and you have to have players that know what they’re doing.
Just a little background on Rivera. He was a LB with the Bears for nearly a decade. He didn’t start for the 85 Bears, he was a backup…but he became a starter soon after with Ditka still there when they were winning double digit games every year. His first coaching gig was as a LB coach with the Eagles under Andy Reid and DC Jimmy Johnson when they kept going to the NFC Championship game over and over again. He then went on to be the defensive coordinator under Lovie Smith with the Bears, including their dominant 2006 Super Bowl defense (although we know Lovie had a huge hand in that). A rift with management ended with him leaving for the Chargers, where he started as LB coach and quickly moved to defensive coordinator. As DC the Chargers made the AFC Championship game with the team having the #1 defense in yards given up and 10th in points given up. That’s what got him the Panthers gig.
So yes, he dabbles with defense in his spare time.
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Got to wonder if he’d prefer Bevell as OC if hired as HC here?
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When he got hired with the Panthers, he fired the OC and brought in someone knew. Of course the existing OC for the Panthers at the time was our current offensive line coach, Jeff Davidson…and they finished dead last in both points and yards the year before.