The Detroit Lions defense is making progress amid continued losses

The Detroit Lions are winless and sport a putrid offense. But in the midst of this lost season, the defense is making progress.

Are the Detroit Lions destined to go 0-16-1 this season? After another heartbreaking loss on Thanksgiving, in a game they had every opportunity to win if they hadn’t done everything in their power to sabotage themselves, it certainly seems like this season will end without head coach Dan Campbell and his staff finding that first victory.

It is not easy to win when the offense is anemic. The struggles these Lions are having getting points is harmful to the eyes and awful beyond words. The offensive line, despite injuries, has been a general strength.

The Lions also have talent in the backfield, and even though D’Andre Swift is set to miss at least one game with a shoulder injury the ground game can still be productive with Jamaal Williams stepping in. The problem is the passing game.

When opposing defenses know your quarterback won’t even test their secondary downfield, it makes it a lot easier for them. Add in Campbell’s increasingly more conservative play-calling since he took over the duties three weeks ago, and it becomes a train wreck.

However, there is still an undeniable bright spot in this disaster of a season: the defense.

The Detroit Lions defense has become a legit strength

If we’re being honest, there have been plenty of problems on defense for Detroit. Romeo Okwara is out for the season. Jeff Okudah has been out since the season opener. Trey Flowers has battled injuries. An inexperienced secondary is absolutely learning on the job, and now Da’Shawn Hand has been released. Yet somehow, some way, the defense has become the strength of the team.

Cornerback Amani Oruwariye is starting to take off. Rookie free agent Jerry Jacobs has been getting better every week on the other side. Linebacker is no longer the disaster it was when the season opened, and the defensive line has shown some flashes.

Over the last three weeks the defense has been solid, albeit against substandard opposing offenses. But that is a start, and six takeaways over that stretch is notable. The biggest thing Aaron Glenn’s unit is missing is a consistent pass rush.

A few weeks back Campbell was asked what the complete version of this team would look like. The interesting thing about his answer was that it started with a strong, suffocating defense.

That defense was Campbell’s focus for where this team is going was good, and what Glenn is developing should give Lions fans hope for the future. They will have their pick of Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux or Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson with the first pick in next April’s draft.

The Lions’ defense is making progress, and with talent they to be added in the offseason it should be even better next season. Eventually, the offense will need to be able to hold up its end to win consistently. But in a season where losses are coming one after the other, we’ll have to be content with the defense showing promise.