Getty Dan Orlovsky in a 2013 game with Tampa Bay.
A big reason the Detroit Lions have struggled on defense has been the team’s inability to make the right calls in right situations, calling Aaron Glenn into question.
But how bad have things been in terms of Glenn’s scheme? It might be hard for the average person to understand with games happening so fast, but ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky has a good idea of what the team is doing so poorly on defense and simplified things well for the masses.
As a former quarterback, Orlovsky knows how to read a defense well, and what he’s seeing in Detroit is a scheme that far too often puts its cornerbacks in bad positions down the field thanks to an over-reliance on bringing pressure.
On Twitter, Orlovsky showed a few clips that helps illustrate what he means, and even hinted he feels like he is watching a past Lions regime again.
I love the Lions I root incredibly hard for them. Why does this keep happening?
“I feel like I’m watching Matt Patricia again. This is the second quarter, it’s second and 14. Why are we playing single-high press man again guys? Why? You’ve played so much man in this game early on and Geno (Smith’s) ran for two or three first downs because nobody’s had eyes on the quarterback. We don’t have to be in second and 14 single high press man. (As a quarterback), thank you. You’re making the quarterback’s job so much easier than it has to (be),” he said.
In another clip, Orlovsky shows another all-out blitz situation where the Lions get burned.
Make it make sense? Defensive guys talk to me…why? I’ve been gashing you all day when you do this..there’s a difference between “we’re gonna do what we do” and “let’s make them earn something”
AG is a great great great coach but cmon…
“You’ve just cut it to a single possession game, fourth quarter, 11:34, second and 10. Why all out zero (blitz?) It’s second and 10. You’ve gotten your head kicked in in these situations all game by bringing all out pressure, leaving these corners one-on-one. As an offensive player, thank you. You’re making my job easy. I don’t have to think. One-on-one, my guy better than your guy, easy play,” he says.
When Dan Campbell hinted that the team would have to make some changes in terms of personnel and scheme, perhaps this is what he was referring to. It was an irresponsible game plan for a dinged-up secondary to be allowing these types of situations, especially when Detroit’s blitzes never made it to the quarterback.
In other running situations, the Lions were caught in similar blitzes and allowed major gains to Rashaad Penny, such as when the runner broke through on third and 16 for a back-breaking touchdown.
Orlovsky asked his defensive brethren to chime in. Many did, and were just as surprised. As former NFL cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said, “terrible call, like why why why.”
Reading and watching this, it’s clear the team has plenty to clean up.
Orlovsky: Lions Would Be Good With Bad Defense
It might be frustrating for some Lions fans to think about, but if the Lions were simply bad on defense instead of historically awful, they might have one of the NFL’s best records at this point of the season.
Orlovsky pointed that out with a well-timed tweet on Monday, October 3 after Detroit’s frustrating loss over the weekend.
If the Lions had a bad defense they’d be 3-1
“If the Lions had a bad defense they’d be 3-1,” Orlovsky tweeted.
It’s hard to refute that point from Orlovsky. A slightly better defense would have won the games against Minnesota and Seattle. Philadelphia is a strong team, so Detroit most likely would still have lost that game even with a marginally better defense.
Instead of demanding perfection, fans should realize Orlovsky is correct. If the Lions could get just a tiny bit better and elevate themselves from awful to bad, it might mean the ability to win more than a few more games.
In order to do that, they’re going to have to clean up their scheme considerably and change the game plan.
Lions Defense Has Awful 2022 Stats
Currently, the Lions have offered little resistance on the back end or up front. The team has some awful stats to start the season that back up some of the unfortunate plays on video.
Detroit sits 30th in pass defense through four weeks of the season, allowing 279.3 yards per-game on average. They have also allowed seven touchdowns this year, and have a long catch allowed of 54 total yards. The Lions are also ranked 30th in rush defense so far this season, allowing 165.5 yards per-game and an awful 10 touchdowns.
As a whole, the Lions have given up 448 yards per-game and sit 32nd in total defense after allowing 1,779 total yards so far, good for dead last in the league.
Naturally, these numbers are more than a bit alarming early on for the Lions. They did play one of the NFL’s best offenses in Week 1 and were pitching a shutout until letting up a big in the second-half of Week 2 and Week 3.
In Week 4, they offered no resistance, as this tape shows. For Orlovsky, the Lions have to correct some of their schematic problems in order to see some bigger improvements.