In just two days the Detroit Lions will host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football, and we'll finally get our first look at their revamped defense.
GM Brad Holmes went to work this offseason, completely remaking the secondary with the additions of Carlton Davis III, Amik Robertson, Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. He also added to the defensive line with DJ Reader, Marcus Davenport and Mekhi Wingo.
The defense has looked markedly improved in training camp, and head coach Dan Campbell is as eager as anyone to see it in action Sunday night against a very good Rams' offense.
"Yeah, I'm very eager, I'm very eager," he said Friday. "There's a lot of excitement with myself, I know the defensive staff – look, I know the whole team, the whole squad, I know those guys in the locker room that are on that defensive side. They're ready to show the work that's been put in and the pieces that have been added and how they all work together.
"I think this D-line can be the engine that we've desperately needed, and I think they will be. With the backers that we've got, we got them all back and they're all damn good players, and then we've made the additions in the back end that I think are good for us. I'm pretty excited to see where this team goes."
It's not just the new additions to the defense that has Campbell excited but it's also the steps forward some of their young players have made. Defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike has looked like a new player this year, finally past the back injury that nearly cost him his career. He's expected to make a big impact upfront for Detroit.
Linebacker Jack Campbell enters his second year as the MIKE linebacker and there's just an inherent comfort level that comes at that position with having a year under his belt. Brian Branch was one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the NFL last year as a rookie and now he'll add some safety to his duties in his second season. The coaches think he'll excel at that spot as a playmaker.
Overall it's a more talented and deeper defense. How good that group ultimately can be will have a lot of bearing on how good this football team can be overall.
"They have challenged us," assistant head coach and running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said Friday about the defense. "We've been challenged, and they've gotten a lot better. Looking forward to seeing those guys play. As we look at it for Sunday, probably will be pretty happy with what we see."
POINT OF EMPHASIS
If Thursday's season-opening game between Kansas City and Baltimore is any indication, there's a new point of emphasis for the officials this season when it comes to cracking down on offensive tackles trying to get an edge on pass rushers by lining up a couple steps back from the line of scrimmage.
Baltimore was flagged four times for illegal formation for the tackles lined up too far back from the line of scrimmage. It's something Campbell said they talked about Friday morning.
"I made that point this morning because I knew it had come up, I didn't see it, but I heard about it," Campbell said. "And really, that was something that – I know as of the last preseason game this year, they were going to make a point of that. They warn you once and that's it. There are no more and then they'll just start flagging them. Our guys know that, and we'll be ready for it."
MONTGOMERY'S IMPORTANCE
The combination of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs helped propel the Lions to the fifth best run game in the NFL last season as Detroit tied for the league lead with 27 rushing touchdowns. Montgomery led the way with 1,015 rushing yards (4.6 avg.) and 13 touchdowns.
This Lions' rushing attack is very much a two-headed monster between Montgomery and second-year back Gibbs, and the team is expecting a lot of the former in his second season in Detroit.
"Everything we asked him to do, he did more," Scottie Montgomery said of the action plan they put in place for David after the season. "He came back as polished as I've seen a guy come back. I think he's probably had the most consistent camp of damn near anybody, not only on our team, but that I've been around."
One area where Montgomery might make his biggest gains this season could be in the passing game. In his four seasons in Chicago before signing with Detroit as a free agent last offseason, he averaged nearly 39 receptions per season. He had just 16 catches last season with Gibbs hauling in 52.
"His ability to catch the football, I think he really worked on that in the offseason," Scottie Montgomery said. "Not just his ability to catch it but get to the point where he can run every single route to be able to be in that conversation."
