Every road to a championship has twists and turns. Unexpected things happen. Unlikely heroes emerge. The guys we do have have a chance to become one of these. We’ll see.
Looks like Bates could be next there…
Ive said it before. Next week is the big test. Game yesterday didn’t mean much at all, but i wanted to see what the defense could do against a injured offense team. Yesterday made me more concerned.
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Today this defense is worse than last years
No AA, No Hutch, no Alim
Oh and by the way Vildor is still getting snaps
So the defense , as it sits today, is worse than what we had entering the playoffs last year
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Statistically i dont necessarily think thats true… talent wise it is debatable but… sutton at cb1, vildor cb2. Campbell wasnt playing overly well, no reader instead we had bohanna, no smith instead we had hutch (downgrade yes).
The secondary imo is better even without cd3 as branch, iffy, and joseph all look to be developing and campbell at lber has become THE GUY there for this defense.
Anzalone is likely to be back and robertson as cb2 is still better than vildor or sutton was last year.
We can agree to disagree i just see this defense at the same level as last years and if we can manufacture pressure we will be fine.
Also, I see posts where a person states the defense is not good enough.
Okay, fine but then they post the same thing numerous times.
I’d rather see something different such suggesting with the weaker personnel. Maybe do a zone once in a while or suggest more of a corner blitz which had success the one time they tried it.
We all know the status of the injuries on defense so we should be a little more focused on who might be back this week.
This is really it. The secondary is better but no matter how good a lack of pressure will sink the upgraded group we have back there. To win a SB we need to find ways to make QBs uncomfortable.
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Good point
I’d like to suggest that if Monte comes back then it also helps the defense. He provides more of a inside run game that creates long time consuming drives. That rests the defense and possibly makes the opposition offense a bit impatient knowing they have to do something.
Its a team game
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It’s not even close
Last 4 games defense has given up 442yds/gm and 32.5 pts/game
Last year entering playoffs, 336 yds/gm and 23.2 pts/game
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And we are 3-1 in that span against likely the mvp, 2 playoff teams, and a few coaching decisions that led directly to short fields and subsequent touchdowns.
Also, in the playoffs last year we gave up over 400 ypg. Not sure you are giving an honest assessment of how bad our defense was in the playoffs last year.
Do you know what they were more successful at? Redzone stops and 3rd down efficiency which had been this teams calling card this season but with an improved secondary that was creating more turnovers.
Again… i am not saying they are world beaters or even significantly better than last years defense, just think they are at least on par and unless we give up more than we have given up the last 4 weeks in yards per game it wont be much different. Just force a few FGs and get a turnover or two and we will be fine.
The Lions’ O couldn’t have done any better in that regard than they did last night. Long drives leading to scores all game with the exception of the failed 4th down from the 9ers’ 8. Point being: the O gave the D ALL the help we could possibly hope for.
Classic example–David Tyree:
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You’re right about the dramatic takes but this defense is absolutely worse than the one they went into the playoffs with last year, the secondary might be slightly improved the defensive line is miles and miles weaker as is the LB group with Barnes and Rodrigo out. It’s probably the worst defense in the playoffs currently as is so while the Lions aren’t doomed because the offense is THAT good, the defense gives the offense virtually no room for error so the offense has to be near perfect in order for the Lions to make a real Superbowl run. It’s a real fine line the Lions are walking here.
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That is why I said “entering” the playoffs for 2023, defensive stats increase in the playoffs due to the level of competition you are playing against. So…we played 2 playoff teams in the last 4 and 2 teams who don’t have a winning record and still gave up those stats.
Our front 7 is definitely worse off today than it was last year entering the playoffs and that is what is concerning
Are we sure?
I mean last years front 7 in the playoffs
Paschal
Alualu
Mcneil
Hutch
Barnes
AA
Campbell
This years
Paschal
Levi
Reader
Smith
Maybin/iffy/branch
AA
campbell
Idk i feel like its comparable and that the secondary is better. Hutch is the factor as you can’t replace him but campbell is significantly better than last year and anzalone is set to return possibly this week.
Honestly, I’m just happy to be here!
Here we are, debating about our ability to get to the SUPER BOWL. With a bazillion injuries. We are in the playoffs for sure, and have just re-set the franchise record for wins (which we initially set last week). We could set it again next week!
MOST years (basically all of them), we would have been ecstatic for a ‘numerical’ possibility to MAKE the playoffs in the last game of the season. MOST years, we were out of it by November, and had been discussing the draft for two months already.
This team is nuts. We lost the (possible) DPOY in Hutch super early in the year. Our defensive captain (Anzalone), our CB1, like 18 other players, and the team is 14-2! It is amazing!
I would love to beat Minnesota and get the 1 seed/bye week. I think it would help a lot. I think it’s a shame that we got hit with all of these injuries, and it’s insane to think of how unstoppable we might look without them. But I am trying to remember how CRAPPY it used to be and how AWESOME it is now.
Will they win the Super Bowl this year? I don’t know? I hope so? Is it possible? Yes! Do the injuries make it waaaay harder? Yes!
But let’s consider the potential ‘sad’ outcome - we make the playoffs, but don’t win the super bowl. Well, then we have next year to look forward to! Just about all of our young studs are locked up for the next few years, and we will be giving Brad Holmes another FA and draft to cook with! The future is bright!
I want it this year too. But, I am trying to not let ‘possible’ negative outcomes in the future outweigh my ‘current’ enjoyment of this gritty-ass team. It’s a fun year, and I will try to enjoy it!
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I saw a win You need to watch closer
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I can see. That lions have issues on def. .maybe you should watch closer
Okay so since we played the shitty vikings of 2023, the tanking broncos, and a fraudulent cowboys team we were entering the playoffs with a better statistical defense last season. What about when the ravens boat raced our defense earlier in the year, or seattle, or chargers…
When we played good offenses last year the defense looked just as bad if not worse than we have the last 4 weeks. The point is we have played good offenses, playoff teams, or good schemes 3 of the last 4 weeks. Same things we will run into in the playoffs and same thing that boat raced our defense last season.
Btw we gave up 28 or more 6 times in the regular season last year. We will match that if we give it up to the vikings sunday night.
Yes, losing Hutch and McNeil off last years defense replaced essentially by older Za’Darius Smith and Reader is a significant downgrade. Then you subtract Barnes and Rodrigo with practice squad/waiver guys and it’s a significant downgrade in the Front 7. Campbell is better so that’s fair but the team is decimated up front.
One can argue that the secondary is a bit better depending on what you think of Arnold v. Sutton and accounting for some growth from Branch and Joseph but I’m personally way more apprehensive about this defense without Hutch and McNeil than I was last year with the two of them in. Those are massive massive losses against playoff offenses.
The defense has been getting shredded by everybody over the last month including non-playoff teams like the Bears and Niners fortunate in those three games that the Bears had the brain fart at the end of the 1st game, gave the ball away twice in the second game and that Purdy made two really bad reads, things that bad teams do more than playoff teams. The injuries are catching up with them and they look exhausted.
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