One of the biggest reasons for the 8-1 start by the Detroit Lions has been the improved play of the secondary. The pass coverage by the revamped cornerback room has been a significant upgrade from years past, thanks to an overhaul with new personnel.
Finding a coverage scheme that fits the personnel is a critical part of the coaching from defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Getting players who can fit what scheme Glenn wants to run is part of that, and that’s exactly what the Lions did in bringing in Carlton Davis, Amik Robertson and Terrion Arnold as the top three CBs.
All are at their best in man coverage, which is Glenn’s preferred coverage scheme. It’s where Glenn was at his best as a Pro Bowl cornerback in his playing days, after all. With corners who thrive in man, Glenn is deploying man coverage at a very high rate relative to his NFL peers.
The Lions run some form of man coverage on 43 percent of opposing pass plays, according to data from Fantasy Points and social media’s Football Insights. No team uses more base man coverage than the Lions through the first 10 weeks.
There is one specific coverage scheme where the Lions really lean heavily: Cover-1. That’s man coverage from the cornerbacks with one safety (Kerby Joseph) roaming over the top and another safety (Brian Branch) buzzing more shallow, and LBs (typically Alex Anzalone but also Jack Campbell) running with underneath routes.
The Lions use this base cover scheme 38 percent of the time, the highest usage of Cover-1 in the league. Only the Browns, at 35 percent, are even close to using Glenn’s preferred Cover-1 as much.
Going heavy on Cover-1 plays to the best advantage of the man skills of the cornerbacks and the ball-hawking athleticism of the safeties. Last year’s Lions secondary couldn’t begin to effectively run Cover-1, but Glenn and the Lions found a great balance between personnel and coverage scheme this year.