Getting blistered for three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter by beleaguered Chicago Bears QB Trubisky to blow a 16-point lead is an infuriating failure by the Detroit Lions defense. It’s an awful continuation of a 2019 campaign that saw Detroit blow six separate fourth-quarter leads, largely by playing a passive, coverage-centric scheme. Lions defensive coordinator Cory Undlin took to the Zoom press conference on Tuesday with that devastating collapse as the background.
Normally, a new coordinator like Undlin would have some influence on how the team would approach situations where it has repeatedly failed miserably. That was not the case in Week 1, and based on one of Undlin’s to-the-point answers from the Zoom, it’s not going to change anytime soon either.
Undlin was asked about the pass rush, which produced one sack against the Bears, and how it relates to slowing down Aaron Rodgers and the Packers explosive offense, which hung 43 points on Minnesota in their Week 1 win.
“… when you talk about pass rush, it’s not just the four guys that are rushing. It has a lot to do with the linebackers in coverage, it has to do with the secondary in coverage, and it all works together.”
After noting the symbiotic relationship between coverage and pass rush, Undlin revealed the underlying mindset for the Lions defense: Coverage is more important than pressure, even when the guys doing the coverage are deep reserves being tasked with playing well above their pay grades.
“When you talk about pass rush, I’m not just going to put that on the D-line by themselves. We’ve got to do a better job in coverage … you’ve got to be able to cover first. When you can cover, then you get an opportunity to rush (the passer).”
Despite being without the top three cornerbacks on the roster down the stretch, the Lions refused to modify the defensive approach or attack. They asked Tony McRae and Darryl Roberts to be Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman. They’re not, and the Bears took advantage. Trubisky, erratic and confused most of the game, suddenly caught fire against the predominant man coverage being run by the team’s No. 5 and No. 6 CBs.
The steadfast refusal to help the dilapidated secondary by trying to create more pressure with the defensive front, or to play a simpler zone concept so backups aren’t asked to carry man coverage on good receivers like Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller for long periods, it makes no sense on any level.
Undlin did indicate on an earlier answer that the Lions continued to mix coverages, but he did acknowledge they relied more on man during the fourth quarter. Game charting shows the Lions played more Cover-1 man than any other defense in Week 1. Trubisky faced pressure on just 11 of his 39 dropbacks in the game.
It’s a frustrating lack of situational awareness by coach Patricia, one that we all hoped would have improved during a reflective offseason. It turns out the only reflection anyone saw in the first week was the same passive, defeated Patricia defense from 2019. Based on Undlin’s answers, nothing will change in Week 2 or the immediate future, either.
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