Getty Alex Anzalone celebrates a big play by the Lions defense vs. Washington.
Coming into the 2022 season, there were questions regarding whether the Detroit Lions had enough on the defensive side of the ball at linebacker to survive.
Without many big-time additions, the team looked as if they would be in a desperate spot. So far, however, that’s been far from the case. Those questions have been answered in a big way, and linebacker has turned into a major team strength for the Lions.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone spoke to the media on Monday, September 26, and as he said, the team has found a way to make sure their depth has shined through. Players are playing in new roles and excelling in them on the field.
“I feel like definitely as much as we like to ignore it, we do hear the outside noise,” Anzalone admitted. “Malcolm (Rodriguez) definitely stepped up into a role that probably everyone here didn’t anticipate from last April. Having that guy in our room has definitely helped and (Chris) Board being that third down role, that cover back or that guy that you can just throw in on any situation he’s good. Then you have depth in Derek (Barnes), (Josh) Woods and (Antonio) Pittman, someone that you could literally throw in anywhere, you can throw him in defensive line, you can throw him at linebacker mike or will and he’s good to go and there’s really not much drop off.”
All of the depth and playmaking allows Anzalone to see that the team has a sudden strong suit at the position, perhaps one that was not anticipated coming into the 2022 season.
“I feel like it’s definitely in my opinion a strong suit of our defense and it’s really a credit to the coaches and a credit to the guys in the room as far as changing that narrative. We look forward to capitalizing even more going forward this season,” he said.
Moving forward, the Lions will have a chance to continue to bust the weakness narrative in a big way. Anzalone would not be shocked if the team was able to get there given the group he is working with.
Anzalone Explains His Improved Play
While the Lions defense has struggled and has some things to clean up especially in terms of pass coverage, Anzalone himself has enjoyed a strong start to the year.
The linebacker has been solid in coverage and also has a sack to go with 25 tackles so far this year. Those are some big numbers for a player who only managed to put up a total of 78 tackles, one sack and one interception last year while casually being seen as a weakness.
According to Anzalone, the schematic changes have allowed him to play more confidently and freely on the field, which has allowed him a shot to step up and impact the game more.
“I feel like definitely the schematic change has helped even last year to this year, just playing free a lot. Kelvin Sheppard letting us do a good job just letting us play free. You play fast, you make plays and finish on the ball and I feel like that’s what I credit that to,” Anzalone said.
So far, Anzalone has been a big asset to the defense in addition to being a veteran leader. His ability to think clearly and be rangy has allowed some of these changes to take hold in a big way.
Anzalone Praises Malcolm Rodriguez’s Start
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for the linebacker room’s quick turnaround has been the play of Malcolm Rodriguez. The rookie has burst on the scene in a big way and begun to open eyes across the league.
According to Anzalone, that’s something which has become commonplace for the young defender given what he is able to do is rare in the NFL.
“He has a skillset that’s different than a lot of linebackers in the league. He’s explosive, he’s fast, he’s can cover. He can do all the things that you’d want out of a a linebacker of that nature,” Anzalone said. “I think that he’s shown definitely splashes of what he can really do. He’s done really well on third down. I think that there’s definitely more in the tank and I know he’s motivated to keep contributing and being more and more incorporated in the defense and keep doing his thing on special teams (while) also playing more snaps on defense.”
Armed with one of the best young rookies in the game, tons of depth and boosted by a player-friendly scheme, Anzalone already sees the origins of improvement for the Lions at one of the spots many considered to be a weakness.
Perhaps that’s not going to be the case once the curtain falls on the 2022 season in a few months’ time.
READ NEXT: Tracy Walker Sends Determined Message After Injury