Detroit Lions: Fixing the defense, Matt Patricia charges and roster moves

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DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 31: Detroit Lions president Rod Wood and General Manager Bob Quinn watch the warm ups prior to the start of the game against the Green Bay Packers on December 31, 2017 at Ford Field on December 31, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

How will the Detroit Lions fix their defense, deal with the Matt Patricia situation, and what running back was released? Let’s discuss it all.

The Detroit Lions spent most of their draft improving their 32nd ranked running offense. Big improvements to the interior of the line and overall depth are encouraging. The Lions also just traded away a depth player, defensive tackle Akeem Spence, to the Miami Dolphins.

Going into the 2018 season, what can general manager, Bob Quinn, and head coach, Matt Patricia, do to fix the defense? Let’s discuss the issues! Plus, we will touch on the hot topic of the day, Matt Patricia’s past.

It’s not a secret to most fans that the Lions defense has been less than spectacular. Only two times in the last decade have the Lions ranked in the top half of the NFL in total defense (2013 & 2014). 2013 was barely in the top half, ranked fifteenth in points and sixteenth in yards.

2014 saw a great regular season defense melt away in the second half against the Dallas Cowboys, while the injured offense couldn’t get much going, either. Sorry for the crappy flashback…

Most other years, like 2017, saw the Lions try to put most of the winning on the offense. Quarterback, Matt Stafford, has repeatedly been asked to manufacture victories when the defense had a hard time slowing opponents down. Number 9 often delivers but if you watched Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson last year, you know they understand the value of a good line and a stingy defense.

What needs to change

So, what exactly needs to happen to improve the defense? Unfortunately, there are issues in just about every unit. Let’s assess each unit and then try to see where things are going.Here are some key stats to remember about 2017:

27th in pass def, 26th in ppg (25.6 ppg)
12th worst against TE’s: 836 yds, 8 TD’s
11th worst against WR’s: 2472 yds, 9 TD’s
5th worst vs. QB’s: 365 att ,569 att, 4110 yds, 21 TD’s, 19 Int, 48 runs, 178 yds, 3 TD’s
27th in total def, 355.8/ypg, 64.2% comp. % against us,(23rd)
20th in sacks (35), 21st ppg (23.5)
18th-20th against run: yards, ypc
RB’s against us: 372 att, 1560 yds, 15 TD’s, 98 rec,788 yds, 2 TD’s

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