Detroit Lions suffering from a severe lack of pass rush

One of the biggest concerns for the Detroit Lions in 2018 is where their pass rush is going to come from. Through two preseason games, no answer has appeared.

When the Detroit Lions opted to bring back 29-year old defensive end Ziggy Ansah using their franchise tag, costing them a whopping $17.1 million to do so, the hope was that the move would help secure their pass rush.

Ansah posted an impressive 12.0 sacks last season. But the aging pass rusher recorded nine of those sacks in three games (six in the final two games of the season) as injuries and inconsistency continued to plague him in 2017.

But Ansah isn’t alone along this defensive line. The return of Kerry Hyder should help boost the pass rush in Motown. The Lions 2016 sack leader is coming off an Achilles’ injury that robbed him of an encore performance last year. Hyder figures to still be shaking the rust off after his long layoff which could mean a slow start for the 27-year old veteran.

Then there is third-year defensive end Anthony Zettel. Playing in the place of Hyder last season, Zettel exploded for 6.5 sacks in his second year as a former sixth-rounder out of Penn State. He is undoubtedly seen as a promising young defender who could post double-digit sacks this upcoming season.

Beyond this talented trio, the Lions have young prospects like rookie Da’Shawn Hand, Cam Johnson, Jeremiah Valoaga, and Alex Barrett who could step up in the Lions final two preseason games. And don’t forget linebacker Devon Kennard, who has intriguing pass rushing abilities as well, recording 4.0 sacks last season.

Yet, according to Mike O’Hara, columnist for DetroitLions.com, through the Lions’ first two preseason contests, the Motor City is suffering from a severe lack of pass rush.

"“There’s still work to do on the pass rush and in pass protection. For the second straight game the Lions did not have a sack, and they had only two quarterback hits. That’s three hits in the two games. The Giants had six hits and four sacks. That means the Lions’ two opponents have a 16-3 edge in quarterback hits and 8-0 in sacks.”"

With a new defensive scheme being implemented by new head coach Matt Patricia, you have to believe the learning curve is still pretty steep for this Detroit Lions defense. But the more they play within the scheme, the better they will perform. That includes creating an effective and consistent pass rush. The Lions certainly possess players who have proven in the recent past that they can get the job done.