Detroit Lions Weblog

Improving Defense is Imperative for 2007 Success

As the Lions prepare for the April 28th draft, it has become clear that if the team hopes to improve upon it’s abysmal 2006 performance, It’s defense must improve dramatically. 

Encouragingly enough, the Lions implemented a brand new defensive scheme last season, the Tampa Cover-2 zone defense.   Both of the 2006 Super Bowl participants were adherents to the scheme and the Cover-2 defense has enjoyed a certain amount of success around the league during recent seasons.   Most teams who have implemented this defense (Bears, Colts, Rams) have struggled in it’s inception, but have made major steps of improvement during the second season after it has been implemented.  

Hopefully, the Lions will make a similar step forward.   It would be difficult for them to execute the defense much worse than they did in 2006.   The Lions pass rush was somewhere between ineffective and non-existent throughout the year.   As a consequence, opposing teams were able to complete nearly 70% of their passes (while their QB’s drank an ice tea and plopped into a lawn chair in the pocket).  The Lions defensive line was dogged by injuries (Shaun Rogers, Shaun Cody, James Hall, et al) throughout the season, as a result teams were also very successful in executing their ground game. 

The Cover-2 zone defense is successful when: 1) the front four generates a consistent pass rush 2) when the front seven of the defense minds it’s gap responsibilities and doesn’t overpursue opposing ball-carriers. Over-pursuit open’s running lanes for opposing running backs 3) The deep Cover-2 safeties and MLB keep opposing players in front of them and don’t get burnt in the deep-middle of their defense, where the defense is most vulnerable.

The Lions ineffective pass rush can be fixed by changing personnel.   So can poor coverage by the Lions safeties and middle linebacker.  The players expanded understanding and mental growth within the defensive framework will help them to adhere to their gap responsibilites against the run, which makes it more of a developmental/understanding type of issue as opposed to a personnel issue in the long run.

During the off-season, the Lions traded veterans CB Dre Bly and DE James Hall.   They also released DT Marcus Bell.   The team was able to sign free agents DE DeWayne White and CB Travis Fisher to off-set their losses.   Here is a projected two-deep:

RDE DeWayne White-Kalimba Edwards

DT Cory Redding-Shaun Cody

NT Shaun Rogers-?

LDE (Corey Smith)?-Jared DeVries-(Bill Swancutt?)

SLB Boss Bailey-Alex Lewis

MLB Paris Lenon-?

WLB Ernie Sims-(Anthony Cannon?)

CB Fernando Bryant-Keith Smith-(Dee McCann?)

CB Travis Fisher-Stanley Wilson, Jr.

FS Daniel Bullocks-?

SS Kenoy Kennedy-?

As you can see the Lions secondary and linebacking corps are short on depth and the Lions still need to find a starting defensive end whom they can pair with DeWayne White, regardless which side of the defense they chose to play White on.  At this point, counting on Kalimba “The Ghost” Edwards to be a productive DE (except in limited situations) is too much to ask, and very unrealistic, too.  It remains to be seen that among Edwards, Teddy Lehman, Boss Bailey, Keith Smith, Shaun Cody, and Alex Lewis if any of them can become future contributors, or if it is time for the organization to move on. 

I believe that Lewis, Bailey and Cody all can achieve contributing roles in the future.   Yet, I also believe that entering the 2007 draft, the Lions have quite a few needs to address immediately.   If the Lions could emerge from the draft with a starting quality MLB and DE (or at least players who can provide competition for a starting job), along with some additional secondary depth, I will be very happy when this draft is completed.