Surprising Factor Revealed Lions’ Top Reason for Hope Down the Stretch

Getty Alim McNell on the field for the Lions vs. the Jets in 2022.

The Detroit Lions are led by a top-five offense in the NFL right now, but as the season pushes on, that side of the ball may end up with less credit.

While the offense is helping them to put up points, very quietly, the team’s defense has been doing some much heavier lifting lately. That’s helped push the Lions to the point where they are in the mix down the stretch.

As NFL.com analyst Cynthia Frelund pointed out in a piece, the defense might be Detroit’s biggest reason for optimism down the stretch. That’s because they are getting the job done in multiple ways

“The Lions have the NFL’s longest streak of games with at least one takeaway (13) and they’re tied for sixth with a +4 turnover differential. Their +57 point margin and average of 28 points per game since Week 9 both rank in the top five in the NFL. Rookie Aidan Hutchinson leads all rookies with 35 pressures, per NGS. My computer vision model ranks their defense as 19th currently after starting off 32nd for the first month of the season,” she wrote.

As Frelund said in the piece, her computer model favors the Lions in all three of the final games they will play down the stretch. That could be due in large part to their offense, but also a resurgent defense that is starting to play a big role for the team.

Just a few months ago, nobody would have dared claim the Lions defense as a potential strength of the team, nor a reason to feel good about things. Now, that seems to have turned around in a big way.

If Detroit can finish the job, it’s clear their defense will be a huge reason why that is the case.

Lions Defense Turning Things Around Statistically

While the Lions defense got off to a terrible start this year, they have managed to right the ship in a big way over the last few weeks of the season.

As of now, Detroit no longer ranks last in terms of total defense. The Lions are 31st, allowing 398 yards per-game. The Lions are 30th in pass defense with 23 touchdowns allowed and 3,711 total yards through the air. Against the rush, Detroit rates 26th, but has been much more opportunistic, holding teams to 133.4 rushing yards per-game.

While the numbers may seem bad overall, Detroit’s been scrappy and their defense has kept them above water while their offense dominates. Detroit’s defense has only allowed one game over 30 points since the start of their hot streak. As part of their 1-6 start, three teams went over the 30 point barrier. That shows a turnaround.

The Lions are also doing a better job with clutch takeaways. Detroit has 11 in their current hot streak, which helps the defense get off the field in key moments and boost the offense. This clutch series shows how that is the case:

Add it up and Aaron Glenn has reason to feel good about his side of the ball. The team has started to turn things around, and might actually have reason to feel good about the prospects of their defense moving forward now.

Lions Defense Faces Challenges to Finish 2022

In terms of the rest of the schedule, the Lions will have a few notable challenges left that are sure to present their defense with a few headaches here and there.

In Week 16, the team will tangle with the Carolina Panthers. While the Panthers aren’t good at 5-9, the team’s offense has a few play makers in wide receiver DJ Moore, who has five scores to his credit as well as D’Onta Foreman, who has rushed for 646 yards and four touchdowns.

Come Week 17, the Lions will play the Chicago Bears and Justin Fields. In the first matchup, the Lions allowed 167 yards and two touchdowns to Fields, and 147 rushing yards with two scores. Fields took over the game, and is capable of doing that to Detroit again, especially indoors.

In the Week 18 finale, the Lions will tangle with Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers. Historically, Rodgers gives the Lions fits, with am 18-7 record to go with 53 touchdowns. He had a terrible game with three interceptions against Detroit in Week 9,

Detroit is trending upward right now, and their defense’s gritty play has allowed them back in the conversation. If they finish off an improbable turnaround, it will be because of that defense.

Instead of just hoping they get by, it’s possible that fans should even be optimistic about Detroit’s prospects.