38. 26. 29. 28. These are the point totals the Detroit Lions have allowed in the four games since their bye week. They've won three of them, which is the bottom line. But that has not diminished concern about the performance of the defense over the rest of the regular season and then in the playoffs.
The Lions' defense is undeniably improved from where it was in the first season and a half or so under Aaron Glenn. That is important to remember, and some random things did happen against the Saints in Week 13.
There are naturally some issues with Glenn coming from Lions' fans, and it does seem like they struggle to adjust to what opposing offenses are doing.
During his media availability on Thursday, Glenn shrugged off "adjustments" as a buzzword that is easy to use as a crutch.
"I think that’s really funny that that’s always the buzz word of adjustments,” Glenn said on Thursday. “And I kind of laugh at it because it just shows that how people just don’t have a clue. I mean we’re winning. “We’re doing a really good job and what are you changing.”
Aaron Glenn defends improvement of Lions' defense
Glenn said adjustments are constantly being made, on the sideline or at halftime. Which is certainly true. But when it doesn't show in-game sometimes, when there are extended periods of in-game lapses without appearing to try something different scheme-wise, that falls on Glenn.
Glenn went further, defending the year-to-year improvement of the Lions' defense with much of the same core group in place.
"I think when you look at it in totality, you look at our overall defense, man, there’s really the same corps that’s been here and you look at us last year at this time, man, we were not a good defense. I think we were ranked last in a lot of different categories. And you look at it now with really the same corps, I mean these guys have improved and that’s the one thing I don’t think people really take a look at ... "
Glenn is not on the hot seat at this point. If he's gone after the season, it will far more likely be for a head coaching job then being fired by Dan Campbell.
But it would be nice to hear Glenn say some different things than he is. Comparing this year to the ineptitude of the previous couple years, as a defense for what's been happening with the Lions' defense lately, is a stretch.