Dr. Davis’ diagnosis on Detroit ‘D’: The LBs

By Os Davis  |   Thursday, July 03, 2008  |  Comments( 8 )

Detroit Lions
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“What is going on with the Detroit Lions' defense?”

With an entire team long subsisting in critical condition, the RealFootball365.com team of emergency virtual surgeons – OK, OK, this writer – has been compelled to perform some major trauma surgery on the unfortunate Lions ‘D’. Or at least attempt to understand the current-day Motor City mess through the miracle of writing a column.

Phase four of our level-one diagnostic takes a look into the stunningly wounded and gaunt defensive line corps. Best scrub up and put on the gear as we go inside ...

Problem: Porous defense appears, well, defenseless against the most mundane of offenses.

Symptoms: The ‘D’ allowed average runs to be extended, average yards after catch bloated; most evidenced by the 5.6 yards allowed per play by the 2007 Lions and the league-leading 22.7 first downs surrendered per game.

The Lions' D-line currently lists the following players: Anthony Cannon, Buster Davis, Jordon Dizon, Alfred Fincher, Gilbert Gardner, Paris Lenon, Alex Lewis and Ernie Sims. Two key facets of this group immediately stand out upon preliminary scan: age and weight. Exactly two of these guys are over 26 years old, and 30-year-old Paris Lenon, the Lions’ No. 2 tackler in 2007, is in the final year of his contract.

As for poundage ... well, ugly stats even dog the Lions here. Check this out. According to current extended rosters, the average weight of a prospective 2008 San Diego Charger weighs in at 247; on the New York Giants, this is 243. At 239 pounds, Buster Davis is the heaviest guy the Lions have! And for the speed-obsessed Rod Marinelli acolytes who insist that the Tampa 2 defensive scheme relies on speedy, “trim” guys reacting to the ball, the Buccaneers -- who originated this particular 'D' -- list an average D-lineman weight at 234 pounds; just three Lion linemen weigh more.

In addition, word from Detroit is that tackling machine Sims is burning out going into just his third year in the NFL. Not positive.

Treatment: Compensation for patient’s unfortunate loss of Boss Bailey was sought in the application of Jordan Dizon, a nice palliative of a second-round pick, but more care should have been taken at this position in offseason 2008.

Further comments: Can the Lions’ problems past the line be as simple as size? Is the problem here as minimal as the inability to wrap up tackles? Empirically speaking, this one’s an easy yes. Just take one example (please): The Week 5 game at Washington which first painfully revealed the smoke and mirrors Detroit had employed early in the season. Warning: This video may contain graphic imagery perhaps unsuitable for the young and the sensitive.

Diagnosis: Hate to have to say it again, Lions fans, but for 2008 nothing can be done except obsessively monitor Sims’ functioning and pray the offense can move the ball on the ground. Worse yet, the Lions are still short maybe three part-time players -- i.e., two to three more years’ worth of free agent signings and/or extremely persipacious drafting, which never a strength in the Matt Millen era. And these conditions are assuming that Dizon soon becomes an every-down player while Marinelli & Co. insist on sticking to the Tampa 2, which may in fact be at the heart of the problem.

Next time: The weakness of the Tampa 2, or does speed kill?

Like a surgeon cuttin' for the very first time 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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