Five Key Matchups to Watch in Detroit Lions at Cleveland Browns
By Dean Holden
Lions RB Reggie Bush vs. Browns LB D’Qwell Jackson
Sep 8, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns middle linebacker D’Qwell Jackson (52) upends Miami Dolphins running back Daniel Thomas (33) during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
It will take more than one man to stop Reggie Bush, but that won’t stop D’Qwell Jackson from trying.
One of the league’s more underrated linebackers, Jackson mans the middle of the defense and is averaging nearly 10 tackles per game. Now, it’s true that tackles are a subjective stat and not really indicative of overall performance, so let me use that stat differently. Jackson has 49 tackles this year. The Browns’ second-leading tackler, Buster Skrines, has 28.
That doesn’t just happen accidentally. Jackson has a knack for being around the ball at all times, and it stands to reason that Bush will have the ball a great deal in this game.
Obviously, the Browns would prefer its defensive line to make the stops on Bush out of the backfield, but the 3-4 defense is designed that way so that the linemen can absorb blocks, allowing linebackers like Jackson to make plays.
The Lions’ offensive linemen will need to win one-on-one battles along the line, so they can pull some guards to block in the gaps. Otherwise Jackson and the rest of the Browns’ solid linebacker corps will just meet Bush in whatever gap he runs through. Even with great blocking, the Lions will still need Bush to show his lateral agility to make the first man miss.