Detroit Lions Week 2 Report Card: A frustrating loss with a familiar script

Defense: 0/5 stars

On paper, this should have been a game in which the defense stepped up and proved they’ve made some improvements. Instead, it looked like a regression to this unit’s worst form from the past two years under Aaron Glenn. 

Considering Seattle was missing their two starting tackles, the lack of pass rush was very concerning. Aidan Hutchinson failed to take advantage of the favorable matchup, and nothing the defensive line tried resulted in pressure on Geno Smith.

In the secondary, things look like they are still a work in progress. Cam Sutton looked fine on one side of the field, but the same cannot be said for Jerry Jacobs. He had a brutal day, getting beat by Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf numerous times. 

Considering the resources that have been poured into the defense, and in the secondary specifically, it was an embarrassing game. 

Defensive player of the game: S C.J. Gardner-Johnson 

The whole ski mask idea died rather quickly, but Gardner-Johnson at least tried to feed off the energy of the crowd. He played with intensity, especially against the run. 

The game didn’t go very well for the defense, but you can see that Gardner-Johnson is trying to change the mindset and confidence level of the defense. However, there is something curious about his deployment that we will get into later.