Grading the 2014 Detroit Lions: Taking A Closer Look At the Defense

Oct 19, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions free safety Glover Quin (27) celebrates with strong safety James Ihedigbo (32) after defeating the New Orleans Saints 24-23 at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Safeties

Glover Quin: A. Over the top, there’s nobody more dependable than Quin, and he had a great season snatching seven interceptions to go along with 73 tackles. Quin made the Pro Bowl, and played a beautiful center field for the Lions’ secondary. Along with James Ihedigbo, he formed a perfect tandem.

James Ihedigbo: A-. Most of the season, Ihedigbo played at an elite level. Near the end, he started to struggle with tackling and coverage, but that shouldn’t diminish what he did for much of the year. Statistically, his four interceptions and seven tackles for loss were impressive, as were his 71 tackles (fourth on the team). He was also a leader helping pull the defense together, which counts for more than statistics. Considering the type of safety play the Lions had been getting in the past, Ihedigbo was solid, and another wonderful free agency find by Martin Mayhew.

Isa Abdul-Quddus, Don Carey, Mohammed Seisay: C-. All of these players weren’t called upon much, but each contributed their fair share of plays at times when they were in. The Lions probably need to find some more stable backups at this position going forward. Nothing this trio did was great, but most of the time, they weren’t on the field long enough to be seen as complete liabilities, either.

Next: Cornerbacks