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Defensive Changes : Same Den, New Detroit Lions

By Larry Brown Jr.

Oct 11, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin claps his hands before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Ford Field. Cardinals win 42-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 11, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin claps his hands before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Ford Field. Cardinals win 42-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ranking 14th in 2015, the Detroit Lions pass defense showed itself to be quite mediocre last season.

Just to review, a heinous hail mary cost the Lions a chance to sweep the season series with the Packers in Week 13. They flew to London in Week 8 and allowed 340 yards in a loss to a then (1-5) Chiefs team (45-10) and the Cardinals produced a whopping 28 point second quarter in their Week 5 (42-17) victory against Detroit. The Lions inability to stop the pass in 2015 did two things : keep QB Matthew Stafford in 3rd & long situations and nullify the power running attack with former Lion HB Joique Bell. Fortunately to resolve some issues, Instead of just talking like former GM Martin Mayhew and former President Tom Lewand, newly hired Chief of staff Kevin Anderson and GM Bob Quinn  decided to keep it business as usual and are already showing prove in free agency. A few subtle off-season acquisitions have already caused a dynamic shift in the defensive personnel in Detroit.

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Currently Detroit’s secondary houses names like CB Darius Slay (age 25), S Glover Quinn (age 30), newly signed FS Rafael Bush (age 28), DB Tavon Wilson (age 25), CB Quandre Diggs (age 24), S Isaiah Johnson (age 23), S Don Carey (age 29) and DB Nevin Lawson (age 24). Like Detroit’s current WR group, the Lions secondary is stacked with youth. Surely defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will take these young athletic players into the white board room, bathe them with schematics, wisdom and manifest an entirely new dynamic to get Detroit’s defense back in the top ten ranks next season. With a young speedy set of corners and the return of LB DeAndre Levy from injury, Detroit will be well able to halt their opponents  short/intermediate passing game and send  disguise blitzing in 2016.

– If lucky, they may be able to acquire DB Vernon Hargreaves in the draft this upcoming spring.

Darius Slay #23 of the Detroit Lions celebrates after making an interception in the second quarter against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on December 13, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Dec. 12, 2015 - Source: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images North America)
Darius Slay #23 of the Detroit Lions celebrates after making an interception in the second quarter against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on December 13, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Dec. 12, 2015 – Source: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images North America) /

”With a young speedy set of corners and the return of LB DeAndre Levy, Detroit will be able to halt the short/intermediate pass game and send disguise blitzing in 2016.”

While new strength and conditioning coach Harold Nash Jr. will help to keep players healthy, a poised administration staff upstairs will regulate the environment forbidding any jesting as noted in recent Lions History (i.e Titus Young, Ndamukong Suh). Expect the morale within the Lions locker room to consist of a disciplined confidence in 2016 versus a in years prior “childish zeal.” No need to pay guys like CB Rashean Mathis, SS James Inedigibo and LB Stephen Tulloch to stand around and look old when the administration is focused on creating a new-found prestige for a Lions franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game in 15 years. One step at a time.

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