Does Detroit’s ‘D’ defy analysis?

By Os Davis  |   Thursday, June 26, 2008  |  Comments( 24 )

Detroit Lions
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“What exactly is going on here?”

While that may be one of the most common laments among Detroit Lions fans these days, RealFootball365 dares to rhetorically ask again in consideration of the 2008 version of the team.

More specifically: What exactly is going on with Detroit's defense?

Cue horror music! Get the ugly statistics on the set! And roll ‘em!

The Lions' offense last year was demonstrating no troubles in scoring lots of points, putting up a middle-of-the-road 21.6 per game on the fourth-fewest plays from scrimmage in the league (965). Jon Kitna and the boys outscored playoff teams Tampa Bay, Tennessee and Washington; in fact, through the first eight, the Kitties’ offense averaged just under four TDs per game despite the three-point debacle against the Redskins in Week 5.

The defense simultaneously made the Lions, as they say, a team of contrasts. The Detroit ‘D’ gave up points in bunches: a whopping 27.8 per game while facing the greatest number of plays from scrimmage (1,087). Lions defenders surrendered a whopping 5.6 yards per play, “topped” only by looking-lost units New Orleans and Oakland. Oh, and they were dead last in first downs allowed.

The 37 sacks notched by Lion defenders is decent at first, but adjusting for time on the field shows a little distortion. Averaging it out to 28.78 plays per sack makes mundane defenses like those of the Kansas City Chiefs (26.46) and Arizona Cardinals (28.13) look great in comparison.

Worst of all? The insane 96.8 QB rating Detroit's defense allowed in 2007. In other words, Detroit faced 16 quarterbacks playing on a level comparable to Tony Romo (97 rating) and Brett Favre (95.7).

And isn’t Rod Marinelli supposed to be a defense guy?

And isn’t the president of operations, Matt Millen, supposed to be a defense guy?

And aren’t the Lions sporting a couple of Pro Bowl-level players in Corey Redding and Shaun Rogers? (No, wait a minute ... Rogers isn’t around anymore.)

Wasn’t the Lions' defense running with the quick-to-react, hustling style that Marinelli wants in his Tampa 2?

Clearly, the situation (for lack of a better word) on the defensive side of the ball defies analysis. Well enough should be left alone, and a continuing subpar performance from the ‘D’ is probably to be grimly accepted by Lions backers for at least another year. There simply are no solutions in Detroit.

Or are there?

In coming days at RealFootball365, we’ll set out to defy the odds, attempt the impossible, probably hurt ourselves doing it, and analyze in a potentially infinite series of columns piece by piece where the Lions are going wrong and what (if anything) can be done about it.

Next: The defensive line.

Knowing that the truth is out there (though it may defy statistics) throughout the year at RealFootball365.com
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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