Allen Park – Time to take a breath. The Lions have been awash in goodwill for months, fending off plaudits instead of putdowns as the newly anointed Team to Beat in the NFC North. And now we wait.
The next time you see them, they’ll be reporting in late July for their most anticipated training camp in decades. That’s not hyperbole. It’s not even necessarily a compliment, considering they’re coming off a 9-8 season without a playoff berth.
The leap from rhetoric to reality is not guaranteed, even if it feels like it. After an 8-2 finish in 2022, followed by a batch of veteran free-agent signings, followed by an NFL draft haul that confused some and fascinated many, the Lions are favorites to win a division they haven’t won in 30 years. As their final OTAs conclude this week, there’s one pressing issue left: Are they really going to be good, like championship-worthy good?
The only way to answer that is by answering this: Is their defense really going to be any good?
It’ll be better, although the young roster is short on certainties. A lot of the Lions’ improvement last season was tied to turnovers – forcing them and avoiding them – and they led the league in fewest allowed. It’s a scary stat because turnovers are difficult to predict or sustain. So Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell added more insurance, signing Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions.
They loaded up, adding three experienced players to the secondary – Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and Gardner-Johnson. High draft picks were used on a linebacker (Jack Campbell, first round), a safety (Brian Branch, second round) and a large interior defensive lineman (Brodric Martin, third round).
But for the hype to become reality, the Lions have to be much, much better in one key area – stopping the run. If anyone gets cocky this summer, they should turn on video of the Carolina game last December when the Panthers ran for an ungodly 320 yards in a 37-23 victory that severely dampened the Lions’ playoff hopes.
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Offensive flash wins fans and headlines, and the Lions had a top-five offense that could be even better. Defensive stability wins tight games and big games, and the Lions had a bottom-three defense with tons of room to grow. Coordinator Aaron Glenn wore a sly smile during minicamp, not interested in touting anything, but certain his defense will be improved.
“Well, with the additions we have, we better be,” he said. “I mean, I give a lot of credit to what our guys did the last 10 games, and obviously every year you’re looking to upgrade your talent, and we did that this offseason. This is going to be fun.”
Worst defensive numbers
During their 1-6 start, the Lions were compiling some of the worst defensive numbers in NFL history. Then came a bye, and personnel changes. Secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant was fired. Rookie Aidan Hutchinson’s role was adjusted, switching to a two-point stance to generate more pressure. Sixth-round pick James Houston came from nowhere – also known as the practice squad – to collect eight sacks in seven games. By the end, the Lions were starting as many as five rookies on defense, including ball-hawking safety Kerby Joseph, who picked off Aaron Rodgers three times while the Lions swept the Packers.
From a 1-6 start to an 8-2 conclusion, turnovers were the overwhelming difference. Jared Goff threw seven interceptions the first eight games, zero the rest of the way. He’s still on a streak of 324 passes without an interception.
The offense committed 11 turnovers the first seven games, four in the final 10. The defense forced six turnovers the first seven games, 16 the rest of the way.
Gardner-Johnson was a star on the Eagles team that lost in the Super Bowl to the Chiefs, and he’s not planning on take a step back. He punctuated one defensive play in camp by turning and yelling, “Detroit ain’t seen nothing like this!”
So, what, exactly, is this?
“Somebody that cares about the game,” Gardner-Johnson said. “I’m not taking away from you, but I don’t think guys have the fire that I have. The passion that you guys see, the energy, I’m just ready to win. I’m not trying to take no steps back.”
Few players bring as much vocal energy as Gardner-Johnson and fellow newcomer Sutton. Safety Tracy Walker is back after missing almost the entire season with an Achilles injury, and he’s the presumptive leader in the secondary. But from a dearth of impact defensive backs, the Lions now have a wealth.
It will help to have defensive linemen Romeo Okwara, Charles Harris and Josh Paschal back to full health. It’ll help if Alim McNeill continues to grow into a middle-of-the-line force. It’ll really help if Martin, a 337-pounder from Western Kentucky, can fill space and push bodies.
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New defensive line coach John Scott arrives with one mandate. Sacking the quarterback is fun, and the Lions have several players who can do it well. But the increased emphasis on run-stopping is unmistakable.
“I’ve always believed, you earn the right to rush the quarterback,” Scott said. “If all you can do is pass rush in this league, you’re probably not gonna get to pass rush a lot because people are going to be running it down your throat.”
The Lions’ defense allowed 5.3 yards per carry the first half of last season and 4.3 the second half, and that includes the abysmal Carolina outing. The defense lowered its points-per-game average from 32.1 to 20.2.
Explosive potential of backfield
For all the explosive potential of the new backfield of rookie Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, and the security of a rock-solid offensive line protecting a steady, maturing Goff, the Lions’ run defense must stop getting rolled, before they can consistently roll opponents.
Campbell and Holmes have made their intentions clear. Yes, they beefed up the defense. But no, they didn’t back down on offense, making the surprise choice of Gibbs, a speedy receiving complement to Amon-Ra St. Brown. They made moves to win now, exemplified by signing three veteran defensive backs.
Hutchinson, who led all rookies with 9.5 sacks, is bursting for more.
“Looks like the boys are trying to load up on defense, and it gets me fired up,” Hutchinson said. “You know what Brad and Dan are doing, they’re trying to make the push for right now.”
You can hear it from the inside. You can tell from the outside. And for those who have seen both sides, it’s eye-popping.
Dre Bly played four seasons with the Lions and is back as cornerbacks coach. He can’t help but laugh when asked how different it is.
“The energy, the vibe, and everywhere you go, people are excited about the Lions,” Bly said. “Now the flip side of it is, we gotta go play and perform. But this is what you hope for, to be in a place where people are excited about the season.”
Deep breaths, Lions fans. You’ve seen a lot of encouraging signs the past six months or so. The truth is, literally or figuratively, positively or negatively, you haven’t really seen anything yet.
Twitter: @bobwojnowski