The play of Detroit's defense has been the highlight of the Lions' 2-1 start. The run defense ranks fourth in the NFL, but this new-look secondary is also starting to settle in and is playing some pretty good football.
Detroit has as many interceptions (3) as passing touchdowns allowed (3) through the first three weeks of the season, and opposing quarterbacks have an 83.3 passer rating against the Lions this season, which ranks 10th in the NFL.
"Our coverage, I thought for the most part, played pretty dang good," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of the 205 passing yards allowed and 76.2 passer rating for Kyler Murray in Detroit's win in Arizona Sunday. "We were in tight coverage and you have to make tight throws when you have tight coverage."
After adding cornerbacks Carlton Davis III, Amik Robertson and Terrion Arnold this offseason, moving Brian Branch from cornerback to safety, and Kerby Joseph elevating his game early in his third season, it's allowed defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to play more of the style he'd hoped when he got here in 2021. The results have been good.
"I feel like coach Glenn had a vision of bringing some of these acquisitions in this offseason and I feel like they are playing at a super high level," second-year linebacker Jack Campbell said Tuesday of Detroit's secondary. "Also, we have a whole new secondary (coaching) staff. Just their ideas they brought in the building have been really great.
"I feel AG, I would say he changed his philosophy, but I feel like now that we have some tools back there, he might be calling the game a little differently."
Glenn is calling more man defense and trusting his players in the secondary to make plays. It's allowed the front seven to focus on the run and getting after the quarterback. That combo has the Lions playing some really good defense to begin the season.
Not only do the Lions have the 10th best passer rating against this season, but after struggling so much last season defending the deep passing game, Detroit's allowed just two completions on passes that travel at least 21 yards in the air through three games. Opponents are 2-for-11 for 49 yards with no touchdowns, one interception and a 7.8 passer rating on those passes.
"I feel like those guys (in the secondary) have done a fantastic job and AG has done a fantastic job calling the game," Jack Campbell said. "I just feel like he's putting the guys in the secondary in positions ... I feel like we're playing more man in the back end. I feel like that's what those guys want. They want to go up and challenge."
We talk all the time about how good football teams play complementary football. Well, Detroit's defense is playing complementary football between the front seven and the secondary, and when that happens we get the results we've seen from the Lions' defense through three weeks.
