Category: Film Room

Lions defense no longer last in blitz percentage in 2019

The Chargers and Raiders now blitz less than the Lions

By now Lions fans know the familiar refrain.

“The Lions blitz less than any other NFL team.”

It’s a line that gets recited at least once in every Michigan-based sports radio show and clogs comments sections and message boards. However, it’s no longer accurate.

Over the last four games, the Lions have moved up in the blitz rate rankings. They’re still near the bottom of the league at just 10.9 percent of dropbacks, but that’s more than double the rate of the Los Angeles Chargers in the same timespan.

For the full season, the Lions blitz rate remains fairly constant at 10.9 percent. However, it dipped below 9 percent from Weeks 2-5. The NFL average for the season is 17.9 percent.

The 10.9 figure ranks ahead of both the Raiders and Chargers on the season through Week 12.

Note that blitz rate doesn’t necessarily correlate with being an effective defense. The 49ers have the NFL’s most effective pass rush and highest sack percentage despite being 29th in blitz percentage. Arizona is 4th in blitz percentage but 22nd in sack rate and has a lower sack rate than the Lions over the last four games.

All stats and tables are from NFL Inside Edge. 

Special teams miscues killed the Lions in loss to the Redskins

The Detroit Lions special teams failed in the Week 12 loss to the Washington Redskins

Normally the Detroit Lions win the special teams battle. It’s been one of the few things the Lions have reliably done well in 2019. But in Washington, the special teams not only failed to be an asset, they also bore a significant portion of the blame for the loss.

Matt Prater missed his first field goal attempt. His 39-yard attempt into the wind fluttered wide right like a hummingbird getting blown by an industrial fan. Missed field goals in inclement conditions happen to everyone, even Prater, but it was still a critical miss for a team that lost by three points.

Prater made his next attempt, but the ensuing kickoff was an unmitigated disaster. Normally Sam Martin kicks off, and he’s one of the best at placing the kicks. Prater left this one a few yards shorter than ideal, and the tackling and containment on Steven Sims was simply dreadful,

Martin wasn’t healthy enough to handle the kickoff duties. He wasn’t particularly good at his regular punting gig, either. His first punt–from the Washington 39–pinned the Skins at their own 5-yard line. He couldn’t pin them inside the 20 on any of his other three punts that were well within the distance of making that happen.

It wasn’t just the guys who make their living with their feet who struggled.

Detroit fielded six Washington kickoffs. Ty Johnson had two returns, getting the Lions to start at their own 24 and own 30. It’s not awful, but it’s not helping.

With Jamal Agnew inactive due to injury, speedy Marvin Hall took over as the primary punt return man. He probably won’t get that opportunity again. Aside from Hall leaving the game on crutches, his decision to field a punt inside his own 2-yard line while running backward cost the Lions 18 yards. That’s an extra first down the team couldn’t afford to surrender. Being reminded of Stefan Logan is never a good thing for a Lions return man.

 

Rookie report: newcomers failed to make their mark against Cowboys

Breaking down the Detroit Lions rookies and their contributions in the Week 11 loss to the Dallas Cowboys

In the 35-27 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the rookies of the Detroit Lions had a relatively quiet game.

With just six games left for the 2019 season, it’s hard to pinpoint their struggles as ‘rookie mistakes’. Most have been thrown into starting roles over the last ten matchups with limited success and others are struggling to make the gameday roster.

So how did the rookies perform in last week’s game?

First-round draft pick T.J. Hockenson remained a non-factor on offense, making just one catch for six yards. That lack of production isn’t ideal, especially when the rookie was on the field for almost three-fourths of Detroit’s offensive snaps – more than the other two tight ends on the roster combined.

Linebacker Jahlani Tavai’s usage on-field has fluctuated from game-to-game this season. In this matchup, he served as the team’s third option at linebacker, giving up more of his snaps to Christian Jones. Tavai made just two tackles in this game, giving him a total of 36 on the year.

Will Harris lost his starting job to Tavon Walker this week but ended up moving back up on the depth chart following another injury to Tracy Walker. He had four tackles, the lowest of the starting defensive back group. Missed tackles and blown coverage have been a big issue for the rookie this season too.

After being inactive for nearly every game this season, Amani Oruwariye earned his first reps on defense. In nine snaps on defense, the fifth-rounder made a single tackle and didn’t allow the one pass against him to be completed. With the season coming close to an end, this is one rookie to keep an eye on moving forward.

Running back Ty Johnson appears to lost his starting role to newcomer aBo Scarborough, who was just recently signed to the active roster. Johnson couldn’t make the most out of his 19 snaps on offense, and came away with just three total touches for six yards. After being outperformed by nearly every offensive player active for Detroit against Dallas, it’s safe to say Johnson will have a lot to prove in the remainder of 2019.

Safety C.J. Moore’s role was strictly held to special teams this week, where he made one tackle.

Quarterback David Blough was active for this game but did not see the field. Offensive lineman Beau Benzschawel and cornerback Michael Jackson Sr. did not suit up against the Cowboys.

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Jeff Driskel proving worthy of keeping as Matthew Stafford’s backup

Driskel is easily the best backup QB Stafford has had since Shaun Hill and is worth keeping

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If there has been any positive development from Matthew Stafford’s back injury, it’s been the play of Jeff Driskel as his reserve. Driskel has performed admirably in Stafford’s absence, much better than most Lions fans anticipated.

Granted expectations were pretty darn low for Driskel. Most fans remember him as the former No. 1 QB recruit in the nation who fizzled at Florida. Some caught him in his five games as the starter for the last-place Cincinnati Bengals in 2018, the first time he’d played since being a 6th-round pick by the 49ers back in 2016.

Driskel did complete 59.7 percent of his passes in those games with Cincinnati, tossing six TDs against two INTs and also running for 130 yards at over five yards per clip. Not bad, but certainly nothing to get excited about as the injury-ravaged Bengals played out the string for a lame-duck Marvin Lewis as the coach.

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The coaching situation might be different in Detroit, but Driskel has proven consistent. What he showed he could do with the Bengals — being an effective, agile No. 2 QB — has carried over into Detroit.

In his two starts in place of the injured Matthew Stafford, Driskel continues to produce modestly decent numbers. His completion percentage has fallen just a bit to 58.3, but he’s also playing with the WR corps that gets the worst separation in the NFL. The TD/INT ratio remains the same at 3-to-1, and Driskel has improved his yards per attempt and yards per completion by almost a full yard in each. He’s also proving a little more dangerous on the ground, averaging 6.8 yards per carry and extending several drives (six 1st down runs) with his ability to tuck and run.

It’s certainly not Driskel’s fault the team is 0-2 with him at the helm. He’s led the Lions to 40 points in two games against two teams that held top-5 scoring defenses entering the game, Dallas and Chicago.

He’s made some very nice plays, showing the ability to throw on the run and keep his eyes down the field. This is a play Matt Cassel, Jake Rudock, Kellen Moore or other recent Stafford backups never makes:

He still needs work. A lot of work. Driskel consistently holds the ball too long, especially on shorter throws. He’s not nearly as aggressive as Stafford at attacking down the field, a key component of Darrell Bevell’s offense.

The Lions have a lot of holes on the roster once the 2019 season ends and contracts expire. Backup quarterback doesn’t need to be one of them. Nobody should be suggesting that Driskel is good enough to usurp Stafford and take over the starting gig. Driskel himself would bristle at that notion. But No. 2 has shown more than enough to prove worthy of a contract extension to continue as Detroit’s backup QB.