Detroit Lions Weblog

Lack of Effective Pass Rush is Lion’s Undoing

In week one, the Lion’s were able to create consistent pressure on Seahawk’s QB Matt Hasselbeck and sacked him 5 times. Since that game, where they thoroughly dominated one of the stronger offensive line units in the league, they have not been able to garner any kind of consistent pressure on opposing QB’s.

In order for the team’s new Cover-2 zone scheme to be at all effective, the front four has to carry the load pressuring the QB so that the defensive backs and linebackers can provide adequate pass coverage. Since week 1, with the lack of consistent pressure, opponents have been able to score over 30 points in each game and have generally had their way throwing the ball against the Lion’s.

Both Chicago and Green Bay utilized double- and triple-teams on DT Shaun Rogers and often used running backs or tight ends to chip away at him. Rogers has struggled to be effective after his dominant game 1 performance. It is not uncommon for D-Linemen to face double-teams, where the Lion’s failing begins is the inability of their other linemen to exploit their one-on-one matchups with the other opposing offensive linemen. As the front four continues to struggle, the Lions have had to abandon their zone defense and often employ blitzes and man-to-man coverage in hopes of pressuring the QB, which also opens up major opportunities for opponents to create big plays,

Both Brett Favre and Rex Grossman were getting rid of the ball very quickly against the Lions. The lack of a pass rush gives opponents better opportunities to “flood the zone” with receivers or find open spaces in the zone defense to exploit. A major indictment of the Lion’s pass rush failure is that they have no sacks since week one and stunningly, were unable to even register one QB pressure against the Packer’s Brett Favre. This kind of ineptitude is a surefire means for other opponent’s to game plan to beat the Lion’s. The simple fact that both Green Bay and Chicago converted on 50% of their third downs, is a major indication of the lack of a consistent pass rush.

The extended drives and demoralizing conversion of third-and-long yardage situations, eventually will wear down the Lion’s defense and render them ineffective as the game presses on. It keeps their offense off of the field and destroys any rhythm or continuity they are able to achieve.

In my eyes, DE’s James Hall and Kalimba Edwards hold the keys to turning this situation around. Hall, the team’s most consistent edge rusher, and Edwards, the enigmatically-gifted but ineffective defensive end, are both capable of getting to the QB consistently. Edwards was the recipient of an off-season pay raise, so the Lion’s mus have increased expectations for his performance. If neither can come to the fore, it will likely be a long season filled with opponents scoring 30+ points and opposing QB’s posting fantasy league-winning stats as the Lion’s continue to unceasingly wallow in futility.