This is 100% true, but. Getting eaten alive by Lamar Jackson is one thing, getting beaten by 1pt by Geno Smith is another. Though beating Herbert by 1 contributes to a bad trend. BUT, keep in mind, we also beat Pat Mahommes
Bottom line, we ain’t the 85 bears. We’re not gonna shut down great offenses, but we have been able to slow em down enough to out score em…sometimes.
Get your diapers ready and guard your kneecaps…life as a Lions fan.
Good defenses slow down good offenses. Doesnt mean it happens “everytime”. But there is a reason they allow less PPG then bad defenses. It’s astounding that even has to be explained. The Eagles held Miami to 17 points. Ravens shut down both Detroit and Seattle. The Niners held the Cowboys and Jags to 10 points or less.
Lions defense by in large isn’t very good. It’s not terribe and the run D is improved. But overall more is to be desired. Especially against playoff caliber teams. That’s just calling a spade a spade.
Not even sure what that has to do with this conversation since Dobbs is not elite and the Cowboys held him to 189 yds passing.
I think the easiest thing we can do is be more like the old 2000(?) ravens and just run. and then run. oh and then run. chew up huge amounts of time and scheme the game clock to have the ball last, either to run it out or score the game winner.
although I’d love to run out in front to force other teams just to throw but actually that would also be our achilles heel
But! We’re in the playoffs.
I hope to someday be a fan of the perfect team, who is favored in every game, and shouldn’t struggle against anything.
Until that day, I’m super grateful we at least have a chance.
It’s always the right choice to enjoy the ride! Nothing wrong with being real. But appreciation in a time like this is something all should take in.
The Seattle game is different IMO. 24 points in regulation given up by the defense and one of those on a fumble at our own 20.
In a game in which both of our safeties had to play through fairly to very significant injuries and we lost IMO our second biggest game wrecker on that side of the ball that’s not that bad. The defense was okay in that game. It was disappointing to see them get shredded in overtime and not take advantage of Seattle OL injuries but it was okay.
And again, motivation really favored Seattle. We were coming off a high whereas their backs were against the wall knowing they couldn’t afford an 0-2 start.
And I actually don’t think the defense was as bad in LA as most are suggesting. IMO we got robbed of a goal line stand. If we get rewarded with the stop we earned we likely go four minute offense and take 7-8 minutes off the board. Then there was the ridiculous Decker penalty as well. Not that it affects the defense directly but in a fairly officiated game the Lions win 38-24 or something like that and we’re not hemming and hawing about the D to nearly the same extent.
I’m not saying the defense is without warts. We are clearly deficient in terms of coverage pieces and without Houston we’re a bit short of pressure pieces, but in both the Seattle and LAC game there were reasons outside of the defenses control that made things look worse then they were. There’s no defending the Baltimore game. We simply got rolled.
People are forgetting that our entire offense is riddled with elite level handsomeness…
…and then there is FOX
We’ve been “lulling” teams by not leaving film of Fox doing crazy awesome shit in clutch moments…but it’s coming…the whole progressive coaching thing sets up the element of surprise. Oh, yeah…it’s coming!
We have definitely been playing very boring, predictable football. Even going for it on 4th down is not exciting anymore it’s just expected. But no fake anythings, no double reverse flea flickers…
It’s coming… just setting the table right now.
I started pointing it out after week 3. It wasn’t received well.
Truth is that we have some serious concerns on defense but every team has some weaknesses and it’s how you manage them that’s the key.
The Lions have enough talent to win a Super Bowl. I truly believe that. We need some things to go our way.
Can someone show me where I referred to myself as a savant?
Don’t successful playoff teams find a way to get one or two drive-killing plays or reduce the effectiveness of a key weapon to slow down the elite QBs ? That’s the difference, imo. I don’t see a shutdown DB or consistent QB killer on DET’s defense that you could rely on to do that.
TB is a terrible example of the mythical QB savior/team-carrier. #3 scoring offense prior to Brady moved up to #2. Defense, however, went from 29th in points allowed to 8th. Brady reduced the turnovers which helped significantly, of course, but TB’s defense still had the dogs to release once they got the chance to not play forever on short fields & from behind.
You seriously think DET’s DL could take advantage like Suh, Barrett, Vea, JPP, et al did ? I don’t see them holding a fully-skill-playered KC to 3 FGs no matter who is playing OT for the Queefs.
Again, it’s too early to say DET’s defense can’t make a big jump; I think there’s unrealized potential & obviously injury issues, but SB caliber ? You’d need a spectacular run by the Goffense & a lot of good bounces.
My greatest fear for this board’s collective sanity is a shootout loss in the playoffs. Inevitably there will be a contingent who will howl that if only DET had one of these purported elite QBs, it would have been different. No matter how shredded the 2ndary gets, no matter how ineffective the pass rush.
Too busy Godfathering to be savanting
At this point winning is getting boring. I need some losses thrown in the mix just to wake me up and keep things interesting.
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