The Detroit Lions had one hell of a path to get to 14-2.
They’re undefeated against the best division in the league. Sunday night’s regular-season finale with the Minnesota Vikings will decide the NFC North crown and the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Lions had to overcome more than their fair share of injuries throughout the journey.
But you could not have watched Detroit’s 40-34 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night and come away feeling good about the state of the Lions’ defense entering the playoffs.
It’s hard not to like these Lions. I’m a big, big fan of Dan Campbell; their offense is endlessly fun to watch, and it’s great to see a franchise that had no punch for the better part of the last 60 years get their turn in the limelight, contending for their elusive first Super Bowl.
Their weaknesses, however, are clear. I’m not laying any blame at the feet of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. He’s playing the players he’s got on a unit devastated by injuries.
The biggest name the Lions are missing on that side of the ball is elite pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who broke his tibia and fibula in Week 6, but that’s just the start. Six starters from the Lions’ Week 1 defense are on injured reserve, important guys the average football fan might not know, like 2023 leading tackler Alex Anzalone.
Just two weeks ago, No. 1 corner Carlton Davis suffered a fractured jaw, and defensive lineman Alim McNeil (second in sacks behind Hutchinson) tore his ACL.
On paper, it may not seem like it’s mattered that much. The Lions entered Monday with the No. 7 scoring defense (19.9 ppg allowed) despite giving up the 14th-most yards per game (338.9), a true “bend but don’t break” setup.
But in seven games against playoff teams (counting the NFC South-leading Buccaneers, who could clinch in Week 18), the Lions gave up 26.4 points per game. And some of Detroit’s roughest showings have come this month as the ranks continued to thin: 31 points in a win over Green Bay, 48 in a loss to Buffalo, and 34 on Monday night at San Fran.
Not only did the 49ers’ first five drives result in four touchdowns and a missed field goal, but they only reached third down a grand total of four times. A Niners offense with Isaac Guerendo instead of Christian McCaffrey and Ricky Pearsall instead of Brandon Aiyuk was getting everything it wanted.
I give credit to Kerby Joseph, the lone bright spot in Detroit’s bottom-five pass defense, as he collected his eighth and ninth interceptions of the year in the second half. (To be fair, Brock Purdy uncorked a terrible overthrow on the first one and completely telestrated the second.) But both of them came after teammate Brian Branch committed boneheaded penalties to help the opponent’s drives along.
Glenn gave a quote the other week that I can truly appreciate. It was right after the Lions lost Davis and McNeil, and it was clear he’d heard enough about his team’s bad injury luck.
“We’re going to the playoffs. We’re in the tournament. Why in the hell is the sky falling for us?” Glenn said. “What do we have to sit back and be sad? We let you guys do that.”
It’s far preferable to the unseemly “woe is me” tack from a coach. His job isn’t to worry but to work with what he’s got.
But if I’m a Lions fan right now and I’m thinking about what Minnesota, Green Bay, Philadelphia or Washington could do to my defense in the playoffs… the sky might not be falling, but I’d be lining up to donate my leg and my jaw to the guys in Honolulu blue who really need it.
