Detroit Lions: Surprising stat revelation about Nevin Lawson

The Detroit Lions clearly have a need at cornerback going into 2019. But this revealing stat concerning veteran Nevin Lawson may surprise you.

The Detroit Lions passing defense allows just 238 yards a game through the air to opposing teams. That’s tied for 13th lowest in the NFL. But they also allow a rating of 115.1 to opposing quarterbacks, that the second highest in the league!

Much of their struggles in the secondary are attributed to their cornerback position, opposite of Pro Bowl starter Darius Slay. The combination of corners Nevin Lawson, former second-rounder Teez Tabor and DeShawn Shead have had their issues this season, allowing some big plays to be made by opposing offenses.

The onus of those issues falls on the shoulders of Lawson, a former fourth-round selection by Detroit back in 2014. The 27-year old has been a starter ever since the midway point of the 2015 season. Yet, he has not been able to record a single interception in his entire professional career.

Lawson is seen by many as a weak link in the secondary despite having just signed a two-year, $9.2 million deal in March. He’s played in nearly 94 percent of Detroit’s defensive snaps this year, more than any other defensive back not named Quandre Diggs.

So far this season, Lawson has recorded 35 tackles and four pass defends starting in 10 of his 11 games played. He’s been targeted a team-high 54 times by opposing quarterbacks, allowing a total of 408 receiving yards and five touchdowns on his watch. Lawson has also drawn a team-high seven defensive penalties.

But Lawson has only allowed 61.1 percent of the passes thrown his way to be completed. That’s better than Slay’s 64.7 percent of targets caught so far this season. And according to an article that was published by the football analytic website, Pro Football Focus (PFF), Lawson has a very impressive streak going.

"“Nevin Lawson has allowed 75 or fewer yards in 45 consecutive games dating back to 2015. That is the longest active streak, more than doubling any other cornerback, and is tied with Darrelle Revis from 2007-2010 and Patrick Peterson from 2014-2017 for the longest streaks for a cornerback in the last 13 seasons.”"

That a surprising streak and some impressive names associated with Lawson’s play in the Motor City. There is certainly a Jekyll and Hyde aspect to the veteran corner’s game. For instance, PFF gives Lawson a top three defensive grade in run defense on the Lions roster with an 87.2. But it also gives him one of the lowest coverage grades with a 51.9.

In all, I believe these contradictory statistics and rankings simply showcase how inconsistent Nevin Lawson can be. And inconsistency is not what you want out of your starting cornerback. Unfortunately for the Lions, they currently don’t have a better option. Thus giving Lawson more time to prove he can be a consistent starter in this league.

For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.