Allen Park — Given how poorly the Detroit Lions defense was playing early in the season, it’s remarkable to think the unit held Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson to the worst single-game output of his young career.
This Sunday, with revamped schemes in the secondary and shuffled personnel, they’ll once again attempt to bottle up one of the league’s premier talents, while trying to keep the team’s playoff hopes afloat.
“I will tell you this: it’s hard to try to hold that player to that now,” defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. “He is a player that I really, really respect on a number of different levels. Just my own opinion, I think if not the best receiver, he’s one of the top two.
“And the reason I say that is not just because of the production. I think he embodies everything I think a football player should be about. I think he’s tough, I think he’s competitive. Man, you see him take some hits and he gets right back up and gets ready to play.”
The Lions were able to slow Jefferson behind a breakout performance from Jeff Okudah. Just a couple of games removed from returning to the lineup after last season’s torn Achilles, the third-year cornerback shadowed Jefferson, while providing regular double-team support from the team’s safeties.
“I think now, they’ve got a good grasp of when teams are going to double,” Lions safety DeShon Elliott said. “Also, him as a route-runner, he’s excellent. He knows how to set the double-up and still get open. I just watched him do it against the Cardinals. He’s shown it and deserves all the praise he’s getting.
Against the Lions, Jefferson was held to three catches on six targets for 14 yards. Yet in the weeks since that dud, he’s been on a tear. In the following three matchups, he went over 100 yards each week, catching a combined 28 passes for 408 yards.
In total, Jefferson has topped the century mark in six of the Vikings’ past nine games, finding the end zone in four of the past five. His 1,277 receiving yards on the season are second only to the Miami Dolphins’ Tyreke Hill, and Jefferson is on pace to surpass the 1,616 yards he posted as an All-Pro last season.
And to the surprise of no one, he has no intention of letting Detroit get the best of him again.
“We know what they’re trying to do,” Jefferson told local reporters this week. “We know that they’re not, of course, trying to let me get open in space. So, we’ve got something for it — that’s all I can really say.”
A lofty comparison
In the first two games of his pro career, James Houston has logged just 17 defensive snaps. But in those limited opportunities, he’s proven to be a dynamic pass rusher, registering three sacks. Only first-round pick Aidan Hutchinson has more for the Lions this season.
Houston’s most recent effort, dropping Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence just before halftime, came on a unique rush move, where he took a skip step after the snap, before accelerating and bending around the blocker on Lawrence’s blindside. Glenn was asked what he called the rush move, and he referenced the nickname Houston picked up in college.
“The Problem,” Glenn said.
The coordinator said he’s seen Houston working on that move on the practice field and it successfully translated to game day. But, Glenn also continued to preach patience with the young, pass-rushing prodigy.
“Again, we want to bring that player along slowly and let him continue to get his confidence the way he is right now,” Glenn said.
Right now, the undersized Houston is being used almost exclusively in passing situations. Asked if he could see Houston developing into a three-down player, capable of handling 40 to 50 snaps at some point in the future, Glenn didn’t dismiss it, comparing Houston to veteran pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue.
“Same player, you just have to really understand how to utilize him,” Glenn said. “That just comes from what’s your scheme? What are you willing to change to have that player be a part of what you’re doing? …So the thing is, we know exactly what we want to do with that player. We just want to make sure we’re careful with him to make sure he continues to rise with the way he is right now.”
Ngakoue, a third-round pick in 2016, spent his first four seasons in Jacksonville, with Lions defensive line coach Todd Wash serving as defensive coordinator. Ngakoue has 64 career sacks, but had his best season under Wash, racking up 12 sacks and an impressive 84 quarterback pressures in 2017, earning Pro Bowl honors that year.
First-down machine
The Lions have been excellent on third downs this season, converting 48.6% of their opportunities. Only the Chicago Bears, at 48.7%, have been better. One of the key reasons for the Lions’ success has been receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has been the NFL’s best third-down receiving option.
According to NFL’s Next Gen stats, St. Brown has been responsible for a first-down catch on 18.2% of his third-down routes. That’s the highest rate in the league.
“It’s hard for defenses to take away a slot receiver,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “I really do believe that, especially with how much we move him around and try to generate some matchups for him. But just his skill set, it is unique. He is well-built, he’s strong, he’s got quickness, he’s as good as anybody we have on the team getting in and out of breaks to create separation at the top of the route. It’s awesome, and he’s got elite hands to go on top of it, so he can make some contested catches also. It’s a fun, little toy to play with as we go into the game-plan session.
“…Truthfully, I really think he’s playing like a top-five, top-10 receiver in this league right now,” Johnson said. “He generates separation on a weekly basis. I think he’s very hard to cover. We’re trying the best we can to keep defenses guessing a little bit of where he’s going to line up, but he does a lot of things himself.”
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers