FINDING A WAY TO WIN, But Defense Showing Signs Of Weakness

By Mark Halpern

By the end of the first quarter of this game, the Detroit Lions were demolishing the New Orleans Saints 21-0 right out of the gate with Touchdowns from Montgomery (2 yd run), LaPorta (13 yd catch), and St. Brown (25 yd catch) this game was poised for a monster blow out. The Lions added a Field Goal to their total, and the Saints got on the board before halftime.

       Like most teams, when they are up by huge scores and some coaches don’t like embarrassing their opponent so much, they get comfortable in their playcalling and lose aggressiveness on the offense, causing the defense to keep them held down. However, Dennis Allen said something to this team in the locker room, and we saw a completely different Saints team come out in the third quarter. 

     The Lions’ defense has started and finished most games, but over their last four games, the defense has almost cost the Lions those games. Right out of the tunnel, the Saints score two Touchdowns, one by Alvin Kamara and one by “Mr. Utility” Taysom Hill. What was a two-score lead has now changed to a 3-point game. The Lions’ offense began to sputter as the Saints compensated, and the Lions could only muster a field goal out of it. Now, the Lions have a six-point lead going into the fourth quarter. However, as much as I chastise the Lions’ defense in this article, the Lions’ Defense got a significant turnover. Then, a 19-yard run by Jameson Williams put the game out of reach even though Alvin Kamara recorded another touchdown and made the final score 33-28.

     The Lions’ defensive line was dominant from the beginning of the season and averaged better than four sacks a game. They need to get more pressure on the quarterback than they need to. Any QB with the time that the Lions give them can pick any defense apart, and that’s a big difference right now. The Lions’ offense is solid and growing, and they are learning more each week about talents. The Lions’ defense better turn it around, and soon.

    The Lions are in a truly unique position at 9-3 as they only trail the Eagles by one game and are Tied with Dallas (who plays Philly on SNF) and San Francisco, who now, with the Eagles losing last week, makes this a race to the finish and going to be an exciting one to watch. The Biggest threat to the Lions right now is themselves. They need a reality check, and over the next two weeks, they play the Broncos and the Bears, which should be games they dominate. If they win both and Dallas wins both, week 17 becomes even more critical as the Lions will Face the Cowboys, and it could have home-field advantage consequences lost to the loser