Tag: Film Room

Packers film room: MVS gives the offense big boost vs. Ravens

The Packers got a big day from speedy WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling vs. the Ravens. Let’s break it down in this week’s film room!

Not only did Marquez Valdes-Scantling catch Aaron Rodgers’ 442nd career touchdown pass, but he had one of his best games of the season against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Green Bay Packers’ deep threat hauled in five receptions for a team-high 98 yards in their Week 15 win. While fellow wide receiver Davante Adams was facing constant double teams from the Ravens’ secondary, Valdes-Scantling was the guy who provided the spark on offense. In the end, his valiant performance helped the Packers clinch their third NFC North title in as many years.

Hopefully, this is the start to a strong finish for Valdes-Scantling’s fourth NFL season. Unfortunately, he may have to miss Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Browns after being placed on the reserve/COVID list earlier in the week. If Valdes-Scantling can pass one test leading up to a Christmas Day matchup, he would be eligible to play.

Valdes-Scantling needs as many swings at the plate he can get before entering his first offseason as a free agent. If he can put together more performances like the one he had on Sunday, it would only help. Valdes-Scantling was a fifth-round pick by Green Bay back in 2018 and has hauled in 13 touchdowns, 122 career receptions for 2,150 receiving yards, and a per reception average of 17.6. Consistency has been an issue for him throughout his career, but his film against Baltimore shows how far he has come.

Let’s take a look.

First, here’s an example of the kind of attention Adams was getting. He is completely blanketed on this quick out, which makes Valdes-Scantling the next read for Rodgers. The Ravens are in a disguised coverage with one man playing off coverage against Valdes-Scantling. The corner tries to disrupt his route, but Valdes-Scantling uses his hands to get off the jam and win the outside leverage. This is exactly what Valdes-Scantling wants with the deep safety working over from center field. After stacking the corner, he then finds a soft spot in the coverage to complete the pass. Valdes-Scantling uses good concentration to bring in an underthrown ball.

This throw has gotten a lot of attention this week, and rightfully so. Rodgers fits this ball into an impossible window to Valdes-Scantling, who picks up 24 yards. It was a nice job by Valdes-Scantling to make this grab on an over route, but this play is honestly all Rodgers.

First off, this play was really tough to scout. It looks like Valdes-Scantling pulls up on this route after he sees the safety is in position to carry the post. However, Valdes-Scantling’s is so fast that he might still have a chance at this ball if he continues to run the route at full speed. Maybe the ball is still overthrown, but you want to see maximum effort from a guy in a contract year.

Valdes-Scantling doesn’t have to be just a deep threat. It’s not always consistent, but he can hurt you in the quick game, especially if the defense is playing off coverage. The corner is playing seven yards deep in respect to Valdes-Scantling’s speed. He doesn’t expect the quick pass, so it’s an easy completion that results in the first down. Watch as Valdes-Scantling sells the vertical release before turning into a smoke route.

This was a clean route from Valdes-Scantling. In this play, he and Allen Lazard are both running digs to beat Baltimore’s man coverage. Valdes-Scantling accelerates through this stem nicely and shows off his separation quickness at the top of the route. It’s an easy pitch and catch for him and Rodgers.

Let’s finish off with the touchdown. This is not a route Valdes-Scantling ran frequently during his first two seasons. On slants, it’s hard to create separation, so you have to be able to make contested catches, which was never his strong suit. However, after Valdes-Scantling crosses the defender’s face with a deceptive hesitation move, he flashes his improved hands with a nice grab to finish the play.

There’s no denying that Valdes-Scantling has improved through his four seasons. But is he going to be worth the price he could receive on the open market? That is a tough decision the Packers will have to make.

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Packers film room: Allen Lazard shows off his versatility against Bears

Packers WR Allen Lazard had arguably his best game of the 2021 season on Sunday against the Bears. Let’s dive in for our weekly Film Room.

On his way to six receptions totaling 75 yards and a touchdown and a rushing attempt that went for 14 yards, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard produced his most complete game of the season against the Chicago Bears in Week 14.

The fourth-year receiver usually puts together solid performances on a weekly basis, but stuffing the stat sheet is not a regular occurrence. Lazard is a lunch-pale receiver, whose value is predominately felt as a run blocker. However, standing at 6-5 and weighing 227 pounds, he is also a receiver capable of making big-time catches when called upon.

We haven’t seen it as much in 2021, but his outing against the Bears was a good reminder of what Lazard brings to this Packers’ offense. Let’s review the film to look at the many things Lazard did well in a win over Chicago.

It wouldn’t be right to start this film review off with anything but a run block. This has been Lazard’s calling card for the last few seasons, and he is now recognized as one of the best run-blocking wide receivers in the NFL. Whether it’s a safety or linebacker, Lazard is not afraid to challenge someone in the run game. He also brings a physical presence that every wide receiver room needs.

Lazard logged a season-high 75 receiving yards last week and a large chunk came from this long third down. For starters, this is just an unreal throw by Aaron Rodgers. Only a quarterback with complete trust in his receiver would even attempt this. Lazard runs a deep over and is basically just looking for space once he crosses the opposite hash. Rodgers puts the perfect amount of touch on this ball but give credit to Lazard for high-pointing this catch. This is a great example of his route running and athleticism that makes him a threatening target in Green Bay.

Years of watching a craftsman like Davante Adams have rubbed off on Lazard. In the first clip, Adams beats outside leverage by selling the fade with his release and eyes. Next, we see Lazard using footwork and patience to win this route to the inside for the first Packers touchdown. His technique as a route runner has drastically improved over the years.

Here is another example of Lazard doing the little things. He receives a check from Rodgers pre-snap because he is uncovered in a tight formation. This allows an easy completion and displays Lazard’s wiggle after the catch. For a big receiver, he is capable of making guys miss.

In Matt LaFleur’s offense, Lazard is consistently schemed to make crack blocks from tight alignments. And when you have a creative mind like LaFleur, this opens up other possibilities. On this play, it looks like Lazard is moving down to block the safety, but instead, it allows him to create the necessary separation for an out route. This show’s how a player like Lazard allows LaFleur to marry the run and the pass.

Ben Fennell found a similar play from earlier in the game.

As if we haven’t shown enough of Lazard’s versatility, this was his 14-yard run to pick up a first down in the third quarter. Lazard will never be a Pro-Bowl wide receiver, but his unique skill set is what makes him a great fit for the Packers.

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Packers film room: Taking a closer look at Justin Jefferson’s huge day

Highlighting what went wrong for the Packers while attempting to cover Vikings star WR Justin Jefferson in Week 11.

It was hardly a breakout performance, but Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was just too much for the Green Bay Packers defense in Week 11. Jefferson hauled in eight passes totaling 169 receiving yards, tying Randy Moss and JuJu Smith-Schuster for the most 100-yard games in their first two NFL seasons.

It was the most receiving yards this Green Bay defense has allowed to a single receiver all season. Jamar Chase racked up 159 yards in Week 5, but the Cincinnati Bengals still loss 25-22 in overtime.

The Packers’ pass defense has been good all year and still ranks in the top 10 even after a 341-yard game from Kirk Cousins. Cousins is having a career year, mostly thanks to his reliance on Jefferson. Jefferson is now fourth in the NFL in yards and is possibly on his way toward another All-Pro year.

Green Bay needs to use this game as a learning experience as they will have to worry about Jefferson for years to come. Maybe if Jaire Alexander is healthy and available, Jefferson’s box score looks a little different. Regardless, these two teams will meet again in Week 17, and the Packers must do a better job of containing Minnesota’s best weapon.

To get a better idea of what went into Jefferson’s huge day, let’s look at the film.

Tough to say what happened here without knowing the defensive call. The field side is in man, but King appears to be in zone and dropping into a deep 1/3. Jefferson is running a deep over and is left completely uncovered for an easy pitch and catch. Either this is a really good play call by the offense against this specific coverage, or King has a mental error that leads to a huge gain.

Looks like the Packers are in Cover 3. Darnell Savage appears to pass off the deep out to Eric Stokes, who has most of his attention on Jefferson going deep. Instead of carrying Jefferson, Stokes gets caught in no man’s land. Meanwhile, Adrian Amos is deep center field and is late to get over the top on Jefferson. Amos is possibly expecting the deep post as his leverage is heavy to the inside. If he continues his initial steps toward the right hash, he is in much better position to make the play.

Bad rep by Stokes here letting Jefferson eat up his cushion without utilizing his backpedal. Jefferson uses a nice rocker step to get Stokes turned around, and Cousins sees that Savage has his back turned to that side of the field. Perhaps Savage was trying to bait this throw, but he is late to get his head turned, and the flag is thrown. Green Bay would be smart to try and bracket Jefferson in the future with less of a gamble on their play call.

The Packers couldn’t have scouted this look because Jefferson has never lined up in the backfield before. It’s a nice wrinkle by Minnesota to allow Jefferson to run an option route. It’s third and goal at the nine, so Green Bay is playing the sticks, trying to prevent the touchdown. However, the Vikings get the look they want with Henry Black one on one with Jefferson.

Not much you can do here but tip your cap to Jefferson. Chandon Sullivan is head up on Jefferson in the slot and uses a little shoulder fake to get the inside release. From there, Jefferson continues to work upfield, and at the top of the dig route, extends his arm to get extra separation. Nicely done.

Cover 0. There is no safety help over the top, so Green Bay is putting a lot of faith in their pass rush and their cover guys to not get beat over the top. Initially, Stokes does a nice job to disrupt Jefferson’s route with a nice jam. He then continues to stay in phase with Jefferson, who is running a simple fade. Honestly, Stokes played this really well, but there wasn’t much he could do. Jefferson gives him a little push to displace his balance, and the throw is perfect and on time. Good defense but better offense.

Film Room: Braelon Allen had a day on Saturday, but so did the offensive line

Film Room: Braelon Allen had a day on Saturday, but so did the offensive line

Wisconsin overcame the tough test that was the Nebraska Cornhuskers Saturday, winning the game 35-28 thanks to a career day from Braelon Allen and a few timely defensive plays.

The win moves Wisconsin within one game of a Big Ten West championship. That chance will come on the road at Minnesota this Saturday, though is actually one of two ways the Badgers can clinch this weekend.

Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 12 — Wisconsin gets one step closer

One of the biggest driving forces behind what is now a seven-game win streak has been the emergence of Allen, but also a much-improved offensive line.

Packers film room: Relentless pass rush smothers Russell Wilson

Breaking down how the Packers smothered Russell Wilson with pressure on Sunday, leading to a shutout of the Seahawks.

The Green Bay Packers applied relentless pressure to Russell Wilson on Sunday. According to Pro Football Focus, the defense totaled 34 pressures against Seattle, setting a new high for the season. The offense struggled in Aaron Rodgers’ return from COVID-19, but it didn’t matter as the Seahawks were shut out for the first time since the 2011 season.

This game was very similar to what the Packers went through in Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs constantly blitzed Jordan Love in his first career start. As a result, Green Bay’s offense struggled to move the ball and put points on the board.

However, while the amount of pressure was similar, the Packers did not have to blitz Wilson to create it. Per PFF, Wilson was blitzed on only three of his 48 dropbacks. Therefore, Green Bay was able to rush four and disrupt the timing of Seattle’s offense.

Let’s take a look at the film to see how the Packers made life difficult for Wilson in his first game back.

Pressure up the middle

Interior pressure can completely dismantle opposing offenses. Green Bay’s Kenny Clark wasted no time making his presence felt, generating pressure on just the second play of the game. Wilson had no choice but to get rid of the ball.

Here is Clark again, except this time he is working as the 1-tech in an over front. Clark fires off the ball and uses a club-swim to disengage from the blocker. Wilson feels the pressure and is forced to step up in the pocket where he makes an arid throw that sails out of bounds.

Dean Lowry is having his best season since getting drafted by the Packers in 2016. 10 games into the year, he has already tied his career-high for sacks and is on pace to set a new career-high in pressures. In this play, Lowry uses a bull rush to walk the guard right into Wilson’s lap. Again, Wilson has to get rid of the ball sooner than he wants, and the pass is basically a throwaway.

Green Bay’s fifth-round pick is quietly putting together a solid season. TJ Slaton has shown flashes as a run stuffer and can also showcase upside as a pass rusher. Slaton looks like a player beyond his years on this play when he implements a club-swim that embarrasses the left guard. He is almost in Wilson’s face instantaneously, and it helps lead to an incompletion.

Pressure from the edge

Unfortunately, Whitney Mercilus won’t be back in 2021 because he was a great fit in the Packers’ defense. They were only asking him to play a handful of snaps, and Mercilus responded with maximum effort and solid productivity. Here, he overpowers Duane Brown with a beautiful bull rush. Mercilus has perfect hand placement on this play, and he is ultimately rewarded with a sack.

Kudos to Green Bay’s coverage on this play because the pressure isn’t there right away. However, after a few seconds, Wilson’s eyes drop to the pass rush as he feels the pocket collapsing around him. Rashan Gary transitions from speed to power on this long-arm rush to bring Wilson down.

Both Gary and Preston Smith get in on the action for this 3rd down. Smith does a nice job getting upfield, and when his initial move doesn’t work, he counters with a nice inside spin move that gets him a shot at Wilson. Meanwhile, Gary uses a stab-rip to gain leverage against the right tackle. He doesn’t create a great angle with the arc of his rush, which allows Wilson to escape the pocket. However, now Wilson is forced to play off-script, and the end result is a huge interception falling into the hands of Kevin King. Sometimes, pressure can be better than sacks.

One of the last plays is a pretty good synopsis of how this game went. The Packers run a stunt to create interior pressure, and it puts Wilson on the move yet again. Smith beats his man and never gives up on the play as he takes a great angle to wrap up Wilson for his third sack of the season.

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Film room: Graham Mertz has officially put the Big Ten on notice

Film room: Graham Mertz has officially put the Big Ten on notice

Ah, another week brings another Sunday look at how Graham Mertz is progressing throughout his second year as Wisconsin’s starter.

We know his and the team’s struggles through the first four weeks. The offensive line was struggling to protect him, the team played some tremendous pass rushers and, as a result, Mertz had a tough time finding a rhythm and leading the Wisconsin offense down the field.

There have always been signs of the quarterback’s talent. But consistency was needed with how turnovers plagued him and how many opportunities he was unable to capitalize on.

Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 11 — Wisconsin keeps pace

Notice the tense there….it’s in the past. Since the Wisconsin Badgers began their win streak Graham Mertz has gotten better by the week. The offensive line is giving him clean pockets, Braelon Allen is giving him a great run game and the young quarterback is taking leaps forward as a result.

I looked at his performance against Rutgers last week & showed why Badger fans should be excited about his play. Yesterday’s win against Northwestern only furthered everything we saw, and actually led me to the title of this piece.

Wisconsin has a real pass offense and Graham Mertz has officially put the Big Ten on notice. Follow along:

Projecting the Lions defensive scheme now that Aaron Glenn is officially the DC

Projecting the Detroit Lions defensive scheme not that they have officially announced Aaron Glenn as their next defensive coordinator.

The Detroit Lions have officially hired Aaron Glenn as their defensive coordinator and fans should feel excited by the hire as his background suggests a new style of defense in Detroit.

Like Lions coach Dan Campbell — who coached with Glenn in New Orleans the last five seasons — Glenn stems from the Bill Parcells coaching tree. He has extensive experience playing in 34 defensive schemes, but his time as a coach with the Saints was in a base 43 scheme.

With the Lions personnel leaning towards players with more 34 traits, it’s possible he leans on some of his past concepts to work with the players the Lions have on their current roster.

Where things get interesting, is when you examine the fact that the Lions almost hired former Los Angeles Chargers defensive line coach Griff Smith. Smith coached a hybrid front with the Chargers, using mainly a 34 Over scheme, which basically operates with 43 Under concepts.

In the clip below, Melvin Ingram (box highlighted) is the JACK LB, but notice how this front attacks the gaps:

Basically, if the Lions were after Smith because of his ability to develop players in this area, while also factoring in Glenn’s experiences and the Lions personnel, it’s possible the Lions will be looking to run a front that focuses on 1-gap penetration rather than 2-gap integrity (like the former staff).

In the secondary, Glenn will likely lean on his recent experience and that means reflecting on his time in New Orleans. They relied heavily on Cover-1 and 2-Man concepts — the most 2-man in the NFL per ESPN’s Matt Bowen — with some Cover-2, Cover-3, and Quarters zone concepts worked in as well.

Again, this lines up with the Lions personnel as well, as they were built for man coverage — the big difference this time is, they will have two safeties for help, rather than just one single high like in the previous scheme.

We’re still a long way from truly knowing exactly how this defense will shake out, but if you read the tea leaves, it sure looks like the Lions could be sticking with a 3-3-5, but adding a one-gapping approach upfront, as well as a 2-man coverage scheme in the secondary.

Film Room: Breaking down the final 3 drive-ending plays by the Lions defense in Week 13

Lions Wire Film Room: Breaking down the final 3 drive-ending plays by the Detroit Lions defense in their Week 13 win over the Chicago Bears.

In the Detroit Lions’ Week 13 comeback victory over the Chicago Bears, the offense and Matthew Stafford get a lot of the love — and rightfully so — but it was the defense that came up big three times at the end of the game, and those three plays will be the focus of today’s film room.

After giving up 23 points in the first half the Lions’ defense was struggling to acclimate to some of the new schematic changes introduced by defensive coordinator Cory Undlin — who is now in greater control of the defense after the firing of Matt Patricia.

But, when the second half began, the Lions defense settled in, only allowing an early fourth-quarter touchdown, while the offense began chipping away at the Bears lead.

Down 10 points, with five and a half minutes remaining, the Lions faced a key third down, and that is where our breakdowns begin.

Lions 20, Bears 30

  • Situation: 3rd and 4, 5:30 left in the 4th quarter
  • Key player: Everson Griffen at RDE
  • Assignment: Rush the passer
  • Results: Needing to get off the field, Griffen alters his pass-rushing attack and falls back on his ever-reliable spin move to get a key sack — ending the drive.

After getting the ball back, the Lions drove 96-yards on seven plays to cut the deficit to just three points.

Lions 27, Bears 30

  • Situation: 3rd and 4, 1:54 left in the 4th quarter
  • Key player: Romeo Okwara at LDE
  • Assignment: Rush the passer
  • Results: Inside their own red zone, the Bears decide to attempt to extend their drive by passing the ball instead of running more time off the clock. Okwara executes beautiful technique to gain leverage over the tackle and uses his extraordinary length and athleticism to get the strip-sack.

Two plays later, Adrian Peterson powers his way through the Bears defense for the go-ahead touchdown, giving the Lions their first lead of the day with just 1:26 left on the clock.

Lions 34, Bears 30

  • Situation: 4th and 1, 0:16 left in the 4th quarter
  • Key player: Kevin Strong at the 2i-technique
  • Assignment: Penetrate the line, attack the ball
  • Results: Strong’s first step is devastating and was the difference in this play, as he was able to blow up the play design before the ball even made it to the running back.

When the Lions needed stops late in the fourth quarter the Lions defense came through. They still have their issues on defense but having the mental fortitude to come through in the clutch was a missing element we haven’t seen in some time. Let’s hope it carries over the final month of the season.

Film room: Graham Mertz has a lot of room to grow after yesterday’s loss to Indiana

After two dominant and near-perfect performances to start the season, redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz has struggled…

After two dominant and near-perfect performances to start the season, redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz has struggled mightily to maintain a rhythm as the season has progressed.

First, there was his 56 percent completion, 230-yard, 1-touchdown, 4-turnover game against Northwestern when he and the Badger offense were only able to muster 7 points.

Then, yesterday against Indiana, Mertz finished the contest with 202 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception and the offense scored only six points.

Today I went through the film of Saturday’s game and analyzed Mertz’s performance, looking at areas of his game that he must improve upon as he moves forward in his college career (the entire film analysis of the game is available on my Twitter @Benzkenney).

Related: Studs and duds from Wisconsin’s loss to Indiana

The redshirt freshman got off to a really rocky start in the first quarter, throwing for 33 yards while the offense gained just 3.9 yards-per-attempt.

Part of that was his footwork and timing, missing a potential 14-yard gain by throwing off balance and not taking the time he had to set his feet and deliver an accurate football.

Though the pass protection did break down on the play, the quarterback still had an opportunity to get his legs into the pass. The ball fell incomplete and it became his first miss of the day.

The second miss came on the same drive and highlights one of the biggest flaws in the quarterback’s performance yesterday: locking on to tight end Jake Ferguson and failing to see the field.

As you can see the catch could’ve been made by Ferguson even though the pass was a bit high. But Mertz had a wide-open Kendric Pryor 15-yards down the field and even had him running in the same line of sight as Ferguson.

Mertz locked on to Ferguson, the play wasn’t made, and it was miss No. 2 by the quarterback.

We now move to his fumble, one of the pivotal moments in the contest.

Running back Garrett Groshek lines up to pass protect on the wrong side of the quarterback and misses his assignment of Indiana cornerback Tiawan Mullen blitzing from Mertz’s strong side. Even though Mertz received no help from his running back or right tackle, however, he should’ve tossed Mullen a glance before locking on to freshman wide receiver Chimere Dike who was breaking open outside the numbers.

It’s the awareness of understanding where the blitzes are coming from, the failed blocking assignments that allowed Mullen to run free, Mertz’s problem of locking on to a receiver and his ball security when the rush does get home that all happened at the same time.

The result? Another Wisconsin turnover.

Mertz’s poor play wasn’t all from the first few drives, as later in the game we saw the same problems arise when the Badgers were driving and trying to battle back and even the score.

Enter the quarterback’s second turnover of the night and his sixth in just two games.

Turnovers were arguably the most critical key to a Badger victory, with Mertz struggling to take care of the football against Northwestern and Indiana entering the contest with a conference-high 18 takeaways.

This play, though it looks like Dike simply flailed at the pass, was actually yet another key mistake.

It was 3rd-and-12 and, as you can see above, Dike was breaking into an open area in the zone. The pass blocking, as it was all night, was tremendous and Mertz simply delivered the ball a second late, allowing Indiana safety Jamar Johnson to break on the ball and intercept the pass.

Dike probably should’ve turned a second earlier and given the pass a chance, but if that ball is thrown 1.5 seconds earlier it’s a 15-yard completion.

It was a missed opportunity at a conversion paired with a poor throw and a turnover, plays we did not see the quarterback make against Illinois or Michigan.

We now move to the final seconds of the third quarter when the Badgers had a 3rd-and-4 on the Indiana 10 yard-line.

Mertz, like he did earlier in the game, forced a ball into double coverage to Kendric Pryor–locking on to him as the guy he would definitely deliver the ball to.

The pass could’ve been thrown further to the inside in order to give Pryor a chance, but wide receiver Jack Dunn also had space at the sticks and could’ve converted a first down.

This was another miss by Mertz and a failed red-zone opportunity for the Badger offense–red zone opportunities which ended up seeing them convert 0/3 of their trips for touchdowns while Indiana converted both of their two.

Along with turnovers, that red zone efficiency is what lost them the football game.

The final play of interest came on Wisconsin’s final drive of the game when they drove into the Indiana red zone and tried to erase the 8-point deficit.

I’m not talking about the last play of the game when Mertz’s pass to Dike got broken up by the Indiana corner, but instead the 3rd-and-10 attempt that directly preceded it.

Yet again the freshman quarterback locks onto Jake Ferguson and tries to force a ball his way. And just like earlier in the game, there was a receiver in his same line of sight that had 6+ yards of separation and could’ve converted the first down.

In my opinion, this was the play on the final drive, not the 4th down pass, that was the missed opportunity. Scoring eight and evening the game in that spot was a tall task, but the play was there to be made and was staring Mertz right in the face.

There were some bright spots from the quarterback’s film, two of which are highlighted below. But there was more bad than there was good, and his overall performance played a big role in the Badgers losing the football game.

So what can we take away moving forward?

First, Mertz is only a freshman and has a lot of time to grow. In all honesty, him seeing this game action and making these mistakes will be good for his development as his career progresses.

But second, he is not a perfect quarterback as many saw him after two weeks. There are flaws to be worked out as this season comes to a close and his career progresses as the starter for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Footwork, timing and going through his progressions should be what the coaching staff focuses on when developing him as a passer

 

Indiana Recap:

Film Room: Examining what Everson Griffen brings to the Detroit Lions

Lions Wire is back in the film room, this time examining what newly acquired EDGE Everson Griffen brings to the Detroit Lions.

Lions Wire is back in the film room, this time examining what newly acquired EDGE Everson Griffen brings to the Detroit Lions.

The Lions defensive philosophy has always centered around stopping the run first and pressuring the quarterback second. Their 3-3-5 scheme is designed to disguise where the fourth pass rusher is coming from, but for the first two years and four games of coach Matt Patricia’s tenure, their disguise has been fairly transparent.

But coming out of the Lions’ Week 5 bye, they shifted their approach upfront, have been extremely creative with their linebacker intentions/disguises and found ways to incorporate bigger defensive linemen on early downs.

This bigger approach to the defensive line has led to more success against the run and opened up more pass-rushing opportunities for EDGE rushers Trey Flowers and Romeo Okwara — and they’re getting to the ball.

In fact, the only flaw in the system right now is a lack of depth beyond Flowers and Okwara, as both reserve EDGE rushers are currently injured. Julian Okwara was placed on injured reserve and is out through at least Week 9 and Austin Bryant is practicing, but still on the PUP list while the team evaluates his health.

This lack of depth and re-focused attention for bigger bodies on the line led to general manager Bob Quinn searching the trade market for help, and he got it in a big way when he landed Griffen.

Griffen has a lot of similar traits to Flowers and Okwara, and his experience could fill a massive need with the Lions’ new approach.

In this film room, we’ve highlighted six plays from Griffen’s 2020 season with the Dallas Cowboys, that best illustrate a variety of ways he will be able to immediately contribute in Detroit.

Setting the edge against the run

  • Situation: 1st and 10, 4:28 into 1st quarter
  • Griffen: RDE, 7T
  • Assignment: Set the edge
  • Results: Sets the edge, reads the RB, pursues and makes the tackle

Note: Be sure to have your sound on the video for analysis 

Setting the edge against the pass

  • Situation: 1st and 10, 2:22 into the 3rd quarter
  • Griffen: RDE, 7T
  • Assignment: Set the edge 1st, rush the passer 2nd
  • Results: Engages TE, sets the edge, keys on the QB/RB exchange, recognizes pass, disengages from TE, gets a QB hit

Pass rushing from the 9-technique

  • Situation: 3rd and 4, 4:28 into the 1st quarter
  • Griffen: LDE, Wide-9
  • Assignment: Rush the passer
  • Results: Power to speed pass rush against the RT, pursue, and sack

Pass-rushing from the 7-technique

  • Situation: 3rd and 13, 4:08 into the 3rd quarter
  • Griffen: RDE, 7T
  • Assignment: Rush the passer
  • Results: Stresses the LT’s outside shoulder, gets upfield with speed to power, disengages, and sack

Pass-rushing from the 5-technique

  • Situation: 3rd and 9, 8:06 into the 3rd quarter
  • Griffen: RDE, 5T
  • Assignment: Rush the passer
  • Results: Takes on LG with swim move, recognizes screen, tracks the ball, and makes the tackle on the WR

Pass-rushing from the 3-technique

  • Situation: 3rd and 16, 9:45 into the 3rd quarter
  • Griffen: 3T
  • Assignment: Rush the passer
  • Results: Attacks the A-gap, escapes the wash, redirects pursuit, pressures the QB, forces the incompletion with a QB hit

Conclusion

Griffen has the size (6-3, 273), speed (4.6 seconds 40 y/d), strength combination the Lions love to lean on in their edge rushers, and the positional versatility to allow the Lions to run the same scheme with him on the field.

Once he clears the COVID-19 protocols, he will likely find the field quickly, and as a 10-year veteran, he should have no time getting up to speed.

He will shift from a starting role in Dallas (roughly 55-percent of snaps) to a reserve role in Detroit, but he has the talent to be an impactful player — even if only as a pass rusher early. His 2.5 sacks and 18 quarterback pressures put him second on the Lions defense, behind only Okwara.

He may not be the havoc seeker we saw in Minnesota, but there is plenty of juice left in the tank, especially coming into a situation where he won’t be asked to hold down a starting role and can instead focus his efforts/energy on situational work.