Detroit Lions: Week 1 was good start, but pass rush needs to do more
By Zac Snyder
The Detroit Lions got just enough pressure on Carson Palmer in week one to make things difficult for him, but they’ll need more going forward.
One of the biggest positives coming out of the Detroit Lions‘ week one win over the Arizona Cardinals was the play of the defense. The Lions defense lacked big play ability last season but forced the Cardinals into four turnovers while holding both the running and passing games in check.
It was a better start for the defense than even the most optimistic fan could have realistically hoped for, yet it needs to be just the beginning. This is especially true for the team’s pass rush.
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The Lions were able to bring just enough pressure to make Carson Palmer uncomfortable in the opener. That much was evident, but the Lions’ pass rush was far from overwhelming. They sacked Palmer just once while tallying seven quarterback hits. Those numbers aren’t far off from what Matthew Stafford endured. He was also sacked just once and was hit four times while attempting seven fewer passes than Palmer.
The pressure the Lions were able to put on Palmer was enough to get the job done against him, and may even be enough to get similar results against Eli Manning. But would it be enough against the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Cam Newton or Ben Roethlisberger? Not likely.
If there is a bit of “fool’s gold” in the Lions season-opening win, it might just how much the Lions’ pass rush was really the cause for Palmer’s struggles.
Cardinals have a problem. Carson Palmer struggling with accuracy and velocity--the two things required to run Arians' offense.
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) September 18, 2017
After getting dismantled by the Los Angeles Rams in their opener, the Indianapolis Colts put up a fight against the Cardinals in week two. They came up short, losing 16-13, but the Colts defense sacked Palmer four times while hitting him nine other times. All that on 36 pass attempts.
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The Lions defensive line has a big opportunity in front of them against the Giants on Monday Night Football. The Giants offensive line is a mess and that needs to lead to Manning picking himself off the MetLife turf early and often. If it doesn’t, that could mean a long night, and a long season, for the Lions defense.