The Detroit Lions’ defense showed improvement against the Baltimore Ravens. Will they continue to show promise or will rookie Justin Fields breakout?
Disaster follows the Detroit Lions. They have lost in every way conceivable. Including to a record-setting field goal. Twice as a matter of fact.
Last week when the curtain came down on the Lions it knocked the whole Motor City off their feet. Stunned disbelief was the order of business combined with that usual bitter taste that the Honolulu Blue and Silver faithful always seem to find in their Kool-aid.
Some are wondering if this is just fate’s way of showing that the Lions are just doing business as usual. After all, new regimes come and go, but the pathetic football always seems to stay.
Hail Mary’s, flag’s being picked up, and touchdowns that were called back on instant replay are just par the course for this franchise. When other teams face the Lions and need a desperation play to get the win, the odds seem to say they’ll get it.
This non-stop litany of pratfalls is what new general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell were brought to Detroit to change. However, last week was another in the never-ending gut-shots this fan base has had to endure for the last 60 plus years.
But while we have seen that ending before, there were actually some positives to be had from the overall performance of these Motor City cats. While the defense did give up some horrible plays like a third down and 18 that became a touchdown and a fourth down and 19 that became the game-winning, record-setting field goal, they also did some things well.
For instance, the pass-rush was more alive than it has been in years. The linebacker play in general was pretty solid. And the ever-so-young secondary did in general cover well, when they were all on the same page.
Unfortunately, they weren’t on the same page often enough. But there will be new opportunities against the Chicago Bears. The question is; will those opportunities turn into another lowlight finish?
Could Fields have a magical afternoon?
The Chicago Bears said their starting quarterback will be a game-time decision. That means the Lions are preparing for Andy Dalton, Nick Foles, and Justin Fields.
Yet I think we all have to believe that no matter who starts, at some point or another in the game It would seem certain that Justin Fields will get an opportunity for some playing time. Why? Well, if for no other reason, the Lions’ defense has been the get-well quick medicine that has gotten struggling passers back on track.
How many times has this franchise turned pedestrian quarterbacks that were fringe players into all-stars for a day?
If you doubt that thought process consider Mitch Trubisky who would be in the Hall of Fame if the Lions were the only team he ever had to face. So with that in mind will the Detroit defense be the cure Fields needs to jump-start his NFL career?
Now the Lions’ defense has sort of made some strides compared to the Matt Patricia defenses that were completely incapable of stopping any team at any time.
We should also add into the mix that it is still too early to say for a certainty that Fields will be a bust or the Bears’ first truly great quarterback since Sid Luckman.
The expectations of fans for rookie quarterbacks are often a little too high, especially given the performance of Justin Herbert last season. It was amazing, but it was also misleading. There are very, very few quarterbacks that come out and start from day one and have a decent season, much less a rookie year like Herbert did.
It takes time to learn the ropes of the NFL.
For all the ability that Patrick Mahomes has shown, he didn’t play his rookie year because Chiefs head coach Andy Reid thought it was in Mahomes’ best interest to sit, watch, and learn as a rookie.
The results would seem to have proven Reid made the right move. More often than not that is the best recipe to give a young quarterback a chance. However, that doesn’t mean a rookie like Justin Fields couldn’t still have one magical afternoon as a rookie.
Defense will be the difference between victory and defeat
The Bears have added some skill players in recent years that could make their offense pretty good with some consistent play from the quarterback position. The problem is that Chicago head coach Matt Nagy has ignored what Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have made the Lions’ foundation; talent on the offensive line.
Last week the Bears’ porous offensive line did their best to get Fields killed. Can the Lions’ suddenly surging defensive line take advantage of it?
While the Lions’ defense did make mistakes that helped cost Detroit the win last week, outside of one 32 yard run by Lamar Jackson, the Motown defenders kept Jackson in the pocket and harassed him almost the whole game.
Can Detroit’s front seven show up in the Windy City with the same motor they had last week?
This is a contest that both teams are looking at as a get-well game. The Bears probably feel like they can win, and the Lions should certainly believe they can win it too. In the end what will be the difference?
I would defer to the oldest adage in the game; defense wins championships.
Neither the Lions nor Bears will win a championship when they square off against each other or even this season, but this is a chance for Detroit to have a statement game.
By virtue of the offensive line and Goff at quarterback, the Lions have the edge on offense. the Bears still have the edge on defense, but Detroit doesn’t have to be better on defense than their Windy City rivals, they just have to be good enough to contain Chicago’s offense.
If the Lions can contain Lamar Jackson and make it difficult for him to make plays outside of some busted coverages, then there is no excuse for these Motor City cats to not put a stranglehold on the Bears’ offense.
That is unless history continues to repeat itself and the Lions defense rolls over to allow Justin Fields and the rest of the Bears three-headed quarterback to light them up.
The difference between winning and losing in Chicago is defense, plain and simple. If the Lions’ defense shows up and doesn’t allow Justin Fields, Andy Dalton, or Nick Foles to have a big day, then Detroit will win. If not, then this will be just another typical loss like the Motor City faithful have experienced far too often over the last 60 years.
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