Metrics reveal large disconnect in marriage between Detroit Lions' pass rush and coverage

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Allen Park — Defense is supposed to be a marriage of the rush and coverage. Metrics suggest the Detroit Lions’ coverage should consider filing for divorce.

Here are some of the raw numbers, provided by the NFL’s data tracking software:

— Detroit ranks 32nd in average time to pressure and opponents’ average time to throw, despite ranking 10th in blitz rate. In terms of the average time its taking the Lions to affect the quarterback, there’s nearly a 0.4 second difference between Detroit and the league-leading Atlanta Falcons.

— Meanwhile, Detroit is allowing the least amount of separation in coverage and yards after the catch, but are facing the longest average depth of target. That reflects how long they’re being asked to hold up in the back end.

For the season, Detroit’s overall pressure and sack tallies are respectable, but they’ve gone ice cold when it comes to getting the quarterback to the ground since the bye week, overlapping with the defense and team’s overall inconsistency.

The Lions averaged 3.3 sacks per game in their seven contests leading into the bye. They came out of the break and dropped J.J. McCarthy five times behind the line in a loss to the Vikings before hitting a team-wide lull. In the past four weeks, the Lions have gotten home for just 4.0 sacks.

During the team’s Thanksgiving loss to the Packers, Detroit’s defense was held without a sack for the second time this season, with the other being a season-opening loss to the same foe.

After evaluating the tape, Lions coach Dan Campbell said there were only three snaps where the Packers held on to the ball long enough for the Lions to get pressure and the defense failed to do so.

“First of all, (quarterback Jordan) Love did a hell of a job,” Campbell said. “He’s a heck of a player, man. That ball was coming out fast, and he threw a few of these now off his back foot, and it was on point. He’s got that ability.”

So what can the Lions do to force the opposition to hold on to the ball a tick longer? Campbell said it’s about creating one-on-one matchups and then winning those with better fundamentals when you get them.

“It can’t just be you’re going to win off talent or things of that nature,” Campbell said. “It was really more about pointing out all the things that have nothing to do with talent, which really are the details, the discipline, and the fundamentals. So, we’ve just got to be a little more on point there. We can. Everybody’s got to do their job. And that’ll help, that’ll go a long way.”

Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard was more pointed with his criticism.

“I don’t think we’ve affected the quarterback to play any style these last couple of weeks,” Sheppard said. “I don’t care what kind of style we want to play. And the guys understand that, and again, that starts with me. I’m not going to just point the finger, ‘You’ve got to win the one-on-one.’ Yeah, no (s___). Yeah, you’ve got to win your one-on-ones in this league, but I also got to find ways to try to maximize what we do have at our disposal and put these guys in optimal position to be able to win, give them tools to win.”

Sheppard promised schematic and personnel changes down the stretch, starting with Thursday’s matchup against Dallas. Still, it’s unclear how much he’ll be able to squeeze out of the current collective, beyond Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill, who have been generating a healthy amount of pressure, but have combined for only 2.5 sacks the past five games, with all that production belonging to Hutchinson.

The Lions have also leaned heavily on those two, with both playing excessive snap counts relative to their positional peers around the league in November.

Al-Quadian Muhammad has gone quiet after a hot start, Marcus Davenport was sidelined most of the season until his recent activation off injured reserve, and Tyler Lacy, DJ Reader and Tyleik Williams have largely been non-factors when it comes to affecting the pocket.

Among the little-used alternatives, there’s Tyrus Wheat, Mekhi Wingo and practice squad rookie Ahmed Hassanein, all who have little or no track record, professionally.

The team could also dial up even more blitzes, given some of the early season effectiveness of their linebackers in those roles.

“It just can’t be those two guys,” Sheppard said. “When your name is called, if you draw a one-on-one, you have to win in this league if you want to be around. And it’s just simple as that.”