Midseason review: Where Detroit Lions' defense is thriving and can still improve
On Thursday, we launched our two-part midseason review with a look at the Detroit Lions’ offense. Today, we conclude the series with an exploration of the defense.
Edge
Key stat: 36 pressures, 3.0 sacks since Aidan Hutchinson’s injury
Detroit had a vision for the defensive end position this season, and in the brief window we got to see it in action, it looked pretty damn good. Hutchinson was on an early path to Defensive Player of the Year consideration, racking up sacks and pressure at an absurd rate, while Marcus Davenport was crushing pockets the way coordinator Aaron Glenn desired.
But Davenport’s longstanding durability issues reared their ugly head early in the campaign, and Hutchinson caught the injury bug for the first time in his pro career, suffering a broken leg in Week 4.
Since those two went down, it’s been tough sledding. The pass-rush production has predictably plummeted, and the run defense has also suffered, as the Lions have rotated in a couple practice squad players trying to put a band-aid over the gaping wound.
The good news? Josh Paschal looks like he’s rounding the corner into a quality contributor, and reinforcements have arrived with the trade-deadline acquisition of accomplished veteran Za’Darius Smith. The depth remains a little shaky, but that’s a starting group you can live with.
Improvement from 2023: Hutchinson had clearly taken another step toward superstardom before his injury. Unfortunately, it won’t matter the rest of this season, unless he’s able to write the storybook ending of coming back for a Super Bowl appearance.
But Paschal’s development shouldn’t be ignored. He was at or below replacement level his first two seasons, but he’s embraced his physicality in his third season and it's showing up in the run game and with his ability to condense the pocket when the quarterback drops to pass.