The Detroit Lions need a good start against the Chicago Bears

Will the Lions defense be improved enough?

It’s the same message over and over. How well will the Lions defense execute? Will they be improved enough to give Detroit a chance to make a run at the playoffs?

Like a broken record there is no end to the questions that head coach Matt Patricia’s defense will have to answer. Let’s be honest, with the general success the Lions offense had under offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell last season, at least when Matthew Stafford was healthy, the expectations should be higher for a more talented Lions offense.

Meanwhile, everyone is just waiting to see if Detroit’s defense simply has a pulse.

Last year there was very little life in the Lions defense. Even in the rare games that they played alright, they still found a way to give away games in the clutch when they needed a stop the most.

In 2019 the Lions defense collapsing was almost as much a certainty as death and taxes.

Now one season later it appears that more than half of the starters on defense will be new faces. New players trying to make sure they’re all on the same page in Matt Patricia’s beloved defensive system he brought with him from New England. A system that is known to be complex.

Ironically, players in New England seem to catch on quickly and the Patriots defense always seems to be at least stubborn and a little stingy against opposing offenses. In Detroit, this same defense has been the ultimate hosts as they seem to throw out the red carpet for opponents to score at will.

What we are told is that this is a new season and that Matt Patricia finally has most of the pieces needed to run his defense. Yet as we stare at what Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn have assembled, depth, especially on the defensive line, is a concern, and do the Lions have enough talent to rush opposing passers?