Fellas, I only followed today’s game on this board and NFL.COM. So very difficult to figure out what we did differently on defense today.
So please tell me…what did we do differently today! Different players in different positions…? Did Brockers play or healthy inactive? Hutch have a different assignment?
Thank you.
Honestly it helped a lot with Doubs getting hurt… and lazard obviously not healthy. Also the Packers still moved the ball… we just performed in the RedZone, creating turnovers. I’d say our approach though… We still played a lot of man… but blitzed less often. Also Jerry Jacobs coming back solidified the outside spot opposite okudah.
We played the Packers.
AO on the bench.
So was AO and Brockers both healthy scratches?
Defensive Line - Aiden (22 years old), Alim (22 years old), Paschal (22 years old)
Linebacker - Barnes, (23), Rodrigo (23)
Defensive Back - Okudah (23), Kerby (21), Jacobs (25 but with 2+ years of control)
There’s a foundation there for sure
As much as I liked Pleasant, he’s gone, so different guy coaching them. Also since the new guy is new to the coaching position, AG probably had a hand in that as well
Kerby balled, Okudah mostly balled, Harris also looked good despite a few plays. Elliot played his role nicely when it came to tackling. They stood up Hutch which helped him in that short goal-line coverage and he was prepared (or instinctual, either way).
Harris turned into … well, a better player than he’s been playing.
Cominsky played well. Paschal played well. Rodrigo was around until he got hurt.
They certainly bended a little, but they didn’t break.
They got three turnovers (four if you count TOD). They almost got five if he wasn’t out of bounds on the fumble.
That’s your difference.
If today’s defense showed up with a healthy offense… man…
It’s pretty clear what happened.
We got rid of the guy who was the problem.
It’s clear as mud.
TJ Hockenson was holding this defense back.
There’s a lot of truth to this. GB is simply a bad football team, and on top of that, they were incredibly injured. They lost like half their team during the game.
Rodgers also made some bad throws. But give credit where it’s due - Kerby changed the game. It’s not often you can say a DB single handedly won you a game, but this is that time. He arguably took away 3 touchdowns today. If that was JuJu Hughes back there the Lions might have lost by double digits. Today was a strong reminder how much game changers can alter your franchise
W O R D
The play where Kerby was on the line and raced 30 yards to bat the ball away was a thing of beauty. We might finally have a true stud at safety.
I know Holmes takes a lot of bashing, mainly due to the record, but this guy appears to be pretty adept at finding very good talent in the middle rounds especially. I can’t remember a stretch in lions history over a two-year period where we added players equal to Kerby, Rodrigo, ASB, Alim, Barnes, and perhaps even Mitchell could be thrown in there, as he looks like a smooth receiving tight end…all after the first round. His 1st round picks have hit as well (just wait for Jamo). Holmes will get this team to respectability. Give him some time.
I’m responding before reading through, so pardon me if this has already been said…
#1. Okudah and Joseph dialed up their hits, perhaps Okudah did a bit too much.
#2. Jacobs was in the line-up and loves to play press-man.
#3. The rest of the DB’s seemingly played more physical at the line and were able to stay closer.
There were still zones that the receivers slipped into or passes where a LB or NB didn’t pick them up, but there weren’t many 10-yards-of-seperation type plays like there was last week.
The theme of today’s play was definitely “physical”.
Defense played well combined with Rodgers playing the worst game he has played in years.
Aaron Rodgers is kind of a piece of crap. An his team-mates/coaches know it now. Plus even with his bad attitude they still almost won.
Sammy Watkins/ Aaron Rodgers are way off!
Lions didn’t do anything great. A better team would of buried them by the 1st half.
Mainly due to his record is fair, but also, there is more to being a GM than just solely the draft. His FA and his trades have been questionable at best so far. Being good at drafting is great, and I’m here for it, but if he wants to wash away the stench of the last however many decades of losing - he’s gotta also find ways to acquire value and talent outside the draft too. This is a big offseason for him.
But yea the dude can draft. I think we all kinda felt that way when he was hired, let’s see if he can become the total package.
I would say his free agent deals have been stop gaps or prove it deals. He’s taken the first two years to get out of cap Hell and next year we are going to be in the driver’s seat. Let’s see what he does there before saying he can’t pick up quality in free agency. Agreed that some of his trades have not worked out but we didn’t give up much capital and trading away 6th and 7th round picks is usually not too big of a deal. I would much rather have a GM who can draft cheap young talent than a guy that can identify expensive free agents. Wait until these young guys have been in the league for three or four years and their back ups are young upcoming studs on the cheap.
Y E S
For the record I didn’t say he “can’t,” but pointed out that he hasn’t so far. Two off seasons with nothing in FA to show for it is a bad start no matter how positive we want to be. Gotta hope he can turn it around but clearly not impressed with his ability to identify low cost additions from other teams.
It’s interesting because people keep saying his biggest asset so far has been his ability to add guys like Malcom, St Brown and Kerby with mid and late round picks. But then when you point out the bad trades the same posters will say “yea but it’s just like a 5th and some late rounders.” I hear that but if that’s the area where Holmes is giving us the most value - then we can’t excuse trading those picks away for busts like Benson and overpriced crap like Brockers. Hopefully we’ve moved on from that philosophy
I would like a GM who’s savy enough to add talent a variety of ways. Nobody is encouraging him to go out and sign top of the market FA deals… but you can add talent to your roster and speed up the rebuild with FA if you’re good at it. The Lions have signed guys like Glover Quin and Marvin Jones to reasonable FA deals that increased our talent and created surplus value compared to their deals. You don’t need the headliners with huge contracts, but if Chark, Perriman or Tyrell was the next Marvin Jones signing it would help. Hopefully we can see some improvement on this front moving forward.
Good points but I do think this is somewhat by design. Why roll the dice on even mid tier free agents at this point? It cost us cap flexibility and draft maneuverability. Imagine we had signed a safety for $12 million per year and he’s playing well last year. Maybe we don’t draft Kerby in the third round. We have him on the cheap for four years and he’s looking promising. Now next year when we will be flush with cash, we can start to fill around our rookie and sophomore players that have panned out. I think that’s a better use of the money. Besides mid tier free agents will not only cost you money now, but if they play well they could cost you more draft position than you’d like to surrender. I don’t think even mildly expensive or long term free agents are what we need right now. But I do look at Jamaal Williams and he was smart enough to give him a two-year deal. I think Brad is going to be fine once he opens up that pocketbook.
This is a fun convo, for me. What I’m present to is how many variables there are to doing Brad’s job.
I like what you say here, bro. I also think timing is super-import. I think ya position cap-wise, while taking as many playmakers as possible via draft. Then, it’s easier to fill the gaps with $$ once you have a solid base team.
I think Brad’s done a great job w/cap.
I think he’s done a nice job of building the bottom of the roster out.
I think we are still a bit inconclusive on top tier playmakers, BUT
…looking really good with a lot of guys
→ I think JaMoss and/or the QB (whatever he decides to do at that position) will be his “Signature moves”
→ Sewell and Hutch were nearly slam dunks…take the meat’n’potatoes
→ Kerby, Ra, Rodrigo making him look REALLY good…Brilliant moves
I think JaMoss will prove to be a brilliant move
I still think Iffy could be a nice piece, but needs development
…same w/Barnes (very high ceiling)
Jacobs is a nice piece for depth, and with the right OL, could be plenty good enough
Love that they stuck with Okudah the way they did…not just 'hanging by a thread and watching with hope," but developing and believing in him
I really dig this staff. LOVE me some Bradley! Hope the OC’n’DC can do well enough that Coach Dan can succeed. He is exactly what we need here.
Also, fire everyone involved with strength and conditioning. All new medical staff, etc.