In 2022, Aaron Glenn’s second season as the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator, that defense finished 27th in DVOA — which was a step up from their ranking of 29th in 2021.
What a difference a season makes. Through the first six weeks of the 2023 season, the Lions rank third in Defensive DVOA, behind only the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens.
Better personnel has been part of the equation, but the Lions have also suffered their share of injuries. Really, it’s Glenn’s change of focus in coverage that has made the difference. Glenn was the New Orleans Saints’ defensive backs coach from 2016 through 2020, and under former defensive coordinator and current head coach Dennis Allen, the Saints are about pressure concepts and man coverage. The difference for the Saints is that they have had the players to tie pressure to coverage in ways other defenses might not.
Last season, per Sports Info Solutions, the Lions played the sixth-most snaps of man coverage against the pass in the NFL, allowing 110 completions on 153 attempts for 1,717 yards, nine touchdowns, five interceptions, and an opponent EPA of 10.51, 11th-worst in the league.
This offseason, Glenn obviously did some self-scouting, and put his players in better positions to succeed with different concepts. This season, the Lions have played the second-most snaps in zone coverage on pass plays behind only the Jacksonville Jaguars, allowing 102 completions on 153 attempts for 1,171 yards, one touchdown, four interceptions, and an opponent EPA of -0.73.
In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys discuss how Glenn’s evolution into different coverages has been a huge factor in his team’s defensive turnaround.
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You can watch this week’s full “Xs and Os” video, featuring all of Week 7’s biggest matchups, right here:
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You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…
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