Lions film review: What did we see from Za'Darius Smith in Detroit debut
Allen Park — Heading into Sunday, the most compelling reason to watch the game between the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars was the impending debut of defensive end Za’Darius Smith, who was making his first appearance for the Lions since being acquired in a trade from the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 5.
And while the day’s spotlight was usurped by a record-setting performance from the offense, Smith got plenty of run on Sunday, taking the field on 77% of Detroit’s defensive plays.
On Monday, after reviewing the game tape, Lions coach Dan Campbell called it a good first showing, noting Smith fit the Lions well. And while we have no reason not to take Campbell at his word, we thought it would be valuable to see how Smith was deployed by the team and where he had an impact against the Jaguars after the opponent mustered just 170 yards and six points in the loss.
Here’s what Smith’s film revealed.