The Detroit Lions got a nice win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and it was their defense that really had a great day. The team held the Cardinals to just 277 yards and just one third down conversion out of nine tries.
The big takeaway here was that the Lions were able to stop a mobile quarterback from beating them with their feet.
That has been a problem for the Lions since Dan Campbell and company started with the team. They’ve been beat up by the likes of Justin Fields, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and more. It was so bad that the Lions allowed the third most quarterback rushing yards in 2023 with 419 and the most in the NFL in 2022 with 700.
One game is a hard sample size to go off of, but this was the prime concern about this game all week. There was worry that the Lions wouldn’t be able to stop Murray on the ground. That concern was amplified by Baker Mayfield running for a touchdown on the Lions the previous week.
Murray was able to break off one big run for 20 yards in the first quarter, but he was otherwise kept in the pocket or forced to throw the ball. He ran for 25 yards on four carries otherwise. Not bad at all.
It’s not just about getting out and running though, the Lions have had trouble with guys getting out of the pocket and extending plays until they make something happen. The Lions were able to keep Murray from doing just about everything. He had a hard time extending plays with his feet and he had a hard time getting clean throws off when he tried to move around. That’s a huge improvement.
Fans wanted an improved defense and the Lions are showing that a lot so far. They’re better at getting pressure, getting to the quarterback, stopping mobile guys and keeping some top receivers off the board. Now they just need to clean up a few things and we’re talking about a defense that’s top 10 in the NFL.
The Lions won’t see a mobile guy again until they take on the Bills in December, but they will go against some guys that have the ability to use their feet here and there ahead of that game. Let’s see if they can continue to stop the problem.