Getty Dan Campbell while coaching Miami.
The Detroit Lions have plenty of things to fix with their team, but quite possibly the biggest has long been figured to be the defense.
While previous regimes would give a word salad as part of an explanation of what needed to improve, new Lions’ boss Dan Campbell isn’t interested in beating around the bush. He wants folks to know the Lions defense is bad, and is going to need major changes this offseason in order to get better. Speaking on 97.1 The Ticket, Campbell said he believes the Lions were playing out of position on that side of the ball most of the time, which wasn’t a benefit to the pieces they did have.
Interesting comments on 97.1 from Campbell: Said Lions defense had some pieces, but personnel didn’t seem to fit 3-4 scheme they were trying to run. Praised Jarrad Davis’ physicality from film study with Saints.
That assessment, which many fans likely saw for themselves the last few seasons, only serves to prove how bad things managed to get under former boss Matt Patricia. Patricia was labeled as a defensive guru when he came to town, but never managed to field a unit that was anything other than below average to awful in Detroit.
Clearly, Campbell now understands what he must do in order to get the team back on the right track on that side of the ball.
Dan Campbell Believes Lions Defense Can Improve
During his colorful introduction presser, Campbell was asked about the pieces the team currently has. He said that he was more excited about the offensive pieces than the defense, which is a shock to nobody because the Lions have been miserable on that side of the ball. Still, though, Campbell offered a bit of hope and a potential light at the end of the tunnel within his statement.
Dan Campbell on the Lions roster: “Let’s call a spade a spade: There’s probably more pieces offensively than defensively that super fire me up.”
Campbell said:
“Let’s call a spade a spade, there’s probably more pieces offensively than defensively that super fire me up. That’s tentatively kind of how I feel. But I’m going to go through it. I also know this, there’s also an ability to hit on a good draft and sign a few free agents that you feel like believe the same way that you do as a program that come from winning programs and they fit a role, fit a piece and some things can happen. You can kind of make things a little more positive than the perception is in the spring.”
A quick turnaround could be possible with enough upgrades, which is where Campbell as well as Brad Holmes will have to get to work on scouting and pondering what style of defense the team needs to run. Adding a few bigger pieces could help fill in the gaps and make the group better for the long run.
Detroit’s Defense Needs Major Changes
Campbell is smart to call out the defense as a spot that needs the biggest changes. In 2020, Detroit’s defense was very bad, and amongst the worst units in the entire league on the field. New defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has his hands full with a major reclamation project and cleanup job.
This season, Detroit’s defense has been plagued with inconsistency in every single way on the field, no matter who the opponent ended up being. Their pass rush struggled constantly, and the team has been up and down on the back end while battling injuries. Detroit also hasn’t forced enough turnovers and is generally unable to get off the field against good teams and good offenses. As a whole, the Lions placed 32nd in the NFL in total defense during 2020, which was dead last. They gave up too many points (519) and constantly looked underprepared. Give Campbell credit for realizing the situation he was walking into and calling it out on day one. The fact it may have been scheme-related is no surprise, either.
It’s possible that Campbell could change the team’s fortunes by shifting the group to a 4-3 look, something which he could already be hinting to. Given his comments about the draft and free agency, the expectation is an overhaul will be coming on that side of the ball this offseason.
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