Detroit Lions running into a wall with ground attack
Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson found the end zone despite running into a wall for most of Sunday’s contest versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
The rushing statistics aren’t what the Detroit Lions had hoped for on Sunday versus the Philadelphia Eagles. Starter Kerryon Johnson posted 20 rushes for 36 yards and a touchdown. Luckily for the Leos, that last stat is what matters most.
If it weren’t for running back J.D. McKissic‘s 44-yard scamper, the total rushing yards would look abysmal. Even more so than the 86 total rushing yards already looks. Rookie running back Ty Johnson added four carries for five yards and quarterback Matthew Stafford was credited with three rushes for one yard.
None of those stats seem to have opposing teams fearing Detroit’s rushing attack. But, is that really the case? To win football games, you really need to stop the run. And opposing defenses have been stacking the box against the Lions’ starter more than almost anyone else in the league – ranking third as 45 percent of Johnson’s attempts have come against eight or more defenders in the box.
The Lions are very much running into a wall at that percentage. That isn’t to say that Johnson doesn’t need to take advantage of the other 55 percent of his attempts. But it does help explain the downright ugly stat line from Sunday. And it doesn’t mean the Lions stop trying to run the ball, either.
This is very reminiscent of former Lions head coach Jim Caldwell’s days. The Lions never produced a 100-yard rusher, but they ran the ball enough to open up the play-action and to keep defenses honest. And this year, Stafford is taking advantage more often by throwing deep down the field.
The difference between today and the Caldwell-era Lions is seen in the personnel and their attitude. They are attacking. They are buying into the culture. They have a fire inside them. They believe.
Next. Ranking the Detroit Lions’ first round picks since 2010. dark
Even while running into a wall, this team is giving it all they have. And they are winning. While nothing has been overly decisive in the victory department, they are still pulling out the W. Their competition has also consisted of highly ranked teams, not bottom dwellers. No, these were playoff teams from 2018 with high expectations in 2019. Now the Lions are garnering higher expectations for 2019 as well.