DetNews & Freep: Defense changes = more nickel less base, uh oh here we go again

The Den
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# DetNews: Lions aim to evolve defense with more nickel looks this season
full article at link

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The Detroit Lions played more snaps in their base defense than any other team in the NFL last season. The Seattle Seahawks, whose defense spearheaded a Super Bowl victory, played the fewest snaps in their base defense of any team in the NFL last season.

Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard wants to close that gap.

“We are planning to utilize the nickel position more,” Sheppard told reporters before an OTA practice this week.

The Lions have historically preferred to have three linebackers on the field defensively, part of the effort to be a run-stuffing team first and foremost.

Detroit played base defense on 62.6% of defensive snaps last season (according to Football Insights), leading the team with the second-highest frequency, the Las Vegas Raiders (56.8%), by a comfortable margin. The Seahawks, meanwhile, played base defense on just 6.4% of defensive snaps, instead leaning heavily on the nickel formation (five defensive backs) to limit opposing offenses.

In his quest to become more adaptable, Sheppard would like to catch up with league-wide trends.

So, while a large topic of conversation this offseason has been about which linebacker can replicate the coverage skills of Alex Anzalone, who joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency, part of the answer might actually come from the secondary.

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Of course, simply putting extra defensive backs on the field more often is not a fix-all for the Lions’ defensive problems, although the Seahawks’ recipe is surely being copied to some degree in every NFL building this offseason. But the reason the Seahawks had so much success with their formula was the personnel: Defensive back Nick Emmanwori, a hulking rookie out of South Carolina, single-handedly changed the calculus of what the Seahawks could do defensively.

Back at the NFL Combine, Sheppard noted, “I keep hearing this Seattle nickel thing. Do you guys know who their nickel is? He’s 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. They’re pretty much playing 4-3 (base defense).”

Still, becoming more adaptable is an effort the Lions are making, and on defense, that starts with the nickel package.

“The adaptability rate that you have as a coach and a player in this league is vital,” Sheppard said.

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Freep: After trying first year, Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard is willing to change
full article at link

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Kelvin Sheppard’s first year as the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator was, in many ways, a trial by fire.

The unit he oversaw was rarely healthy and whole. Beginning in late September, a secondary that was seen as one of the team’s strongest sectors started to fall apart. By Week 15, in mid-December, both starting safeties and two of Sheppard’s most valuable players – Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch – were out of action. To put it mildly, it wasn’t ideal.

“I’ve gone through a season where I’ve had to adapt, I’ve had to adjust,” Sheppard said Thursday, June 11. “I saw where things might have should have gone one way and didn’t go that way.”

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“We are planning to utilize the nickel position more,” he said.

Yet, even that move isn’t that cut-and-dried, because it introduces another variable into the equation with Amik Robertson, who had been the Lions’ top slot cornerback, no longer on the roster after joining the Washington Commanders as a free agent this offseason. Now that Robertson is gone, the Lions must fill that role with a new player.

So be it, Sheppard said.

He’s not afraid of change. That was made abundantly clear in 2025, as Sheppard gradually weaned the Lions off the man-heavy system used under his predecessor, Aaron Glenn. Over the course of the season, Detroit relied more on zone coverage as the secondary became increasingly populated with backups. By the time the Lions walked off the field for the last time, they had played nearly twice as much zone as man, according to Sharp Football Analysis.

“The adaptability that you have as a coach and player in this league is vital because things are going to change,” Sheppard said.

In the dog-eat-dog NFL, where Darwinian laws apply, the ones who evolve tend to survive.

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Campbell has full faith Sheppard will continue to do just that. He gave him a strong vote of confidence by retaining the entire defensive staff following an ugly stretch over the final seven games – a period in which Detroit surrendered the third-most yards and ranked among the bottom six in points allowed. Campbell understood Sheppard shouldn’t be blamed for the downturn, considering the rash of injuries that befell his deteriorating defense. Besides, he had made noticeable strides as a coordinator.

“And that’s what happens when you’re able to do it,” Campbell said. “You go through a season, you go through the practices, you kind of key and diagnose yourself as a play-caller. … You can’t help [but] get better. … Time on task, under pressure, under duress and making corrections, adapting to personnel, injuries, and he’s done all that.”

It was trial by fire, in many ways.

But it gave Sheppard the confidence he could handle the new challenges he will inevitably face this upcoming season.

It is no wonder then that Sheppard appears “much more comfortable” than he did at this time last year, according to Campbell.

“I love where Shep is at right now,” he said.

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Play nickel = win.

Play like last year = lose

Profit.

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College Basketball Dancing GIF by UNC Tar Heels

My work here is done.

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The early part of last season featured great team defense with the base package. Branch is a critical piece for us. Anzalone was okay in coverage. DJ Reed was VERY good early.

Losing our secondary, esp. safeties but also Reed, killed the defensive approach. Combine that with little Hutch help and you have our disaster second half. We could not pressure the QB and we had no secondary options. Arnold went on IR, Reed never recovered from his serious hamstring issue and only Rock Ya Sin excelled in that shitty situation.

Beds D too much? Yep, but Shep didn’t have any better options left.

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More nickel… less base?

I thought nickel is the new base?

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