Defensive stat ties Detroit Lions to Super Bowl contenders

The Detroit Lions have been a turnover machine on defense so far this year. Will that translate to postseason success for the Motor City?

The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for the Detroit Lions. Having lost three of their four games prior to Week Seven’s break, the Lions needed the extra time to regroup, get healthy and prepare for the second half of the season.

The bye week is a great time to reflect on the games played so far, to analyze what has worked and what needs improvement. One area the Lions have been particularly good at this year is causing turnovers.

So far this season, Detroit’s defense has racked up nine total interceptions and have taken away five fumbles from opposing offenses. In turn, the Lions’ offense has only given away at total of eight turnovers, leaving the team with a +6 in turnover differential.

And according to one Lions’ insider, Detroit’s stinginess on defense is a trait shared by some of the league’s best teams.

"“The Lions are tied for second in the league with 14 takeaways through six games, or 2.3 per game,” wrote Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “The only teams to average more over the last four years are the 2013 Seattle Seahawks and 2015 Carolina Panthers, both of whom made the Super Bowl.”"

Now, by no means is anyone making the leap that the Lions are bound for Minnesota in February. Especially as they currently sit third in the NFC North division with a 3-3 record.

But the fact the Lions defensive secondary is stepping up and creating turnovers has to be a pleasant surprise for a club that ranked a lowly 28th in the league last season with just 14 total takeaways. This current Detroit squad has created that same exact amount of turnovers already through six games!

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Veteran cornerback Darius Slay has a career-high three interceptions already this season. And 31-year old safety Glover Quin has two picks himself along with two forced fumbles. With these two veterans leading the way, the defensive resurgence in the Motor City is real. And hopefully it leads to that elusive postseason success.