Detroit Lions: 10 keys for a week 3 win over the Atlanta Falcons
The Detroit Lions can make a statement by beating the defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons. Here are ten keys to getting the week three win.
The Detroit Lions won their first two games by double digits despite being underdogs. They face the defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field with the chance to stake their claim as an NFC contender. Here is how Detroit can beat Atlanta and keep their lead in the NFC North.
1. Put Darius Slay on Julio Jones all game
Darius Slay normally lines up against the #1 wide receiver but that’s not a given every play. He usually will line up on the field side (the opposite side of where the ball is placed on the hash) of the formation when he is not covering the best wideout. This game, Teryl Austin needs to let Slay cover Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones every play.
Julio Jones is what makes the Falcons offense tick. Jones is an incredible athlete and lines up everywhere. When he is going the Falcons offense is impossible to defend. Darius Slay is an elite cover cornerback and was fantastic on Odell Beckham last week. Nevin Lawson and Quandre Diggs continue to improve and play well. Despite that, Darius Slay is too superb to try and be cute against Atlanta. Line Slay up on Julio Jones and let him do what he does best.
2. Use Theo Riddick on third downs
My biggest complaint of Jim Bob Cooter in 2017 is not using Theo Riddick enough in the passing game, specifically on third down. Dwayne Washington is a fine third option at running back. He is not a good option on third down with medium/long situations. Third down is where Riddick shines. Riddick is excellent at finding the sticks in those situations yet has not been a big factor on third down.
The Falcons are going to try and disrupt Matthew Stafford. They will not have their best pass rusher in Vic Beasley and consequently will need to generate pressure with the blitz. This is where Riddick can be effective in the screen game and convert on third down. He can make plays over the middle and in the flats. Jim Bob Cooter must configure Riddick in the game plan and use him.
3. Defend the flats
While watching the Falcons the last two weeks, I was impressed how Atlanta used running back Tevin Coleman. Coleman is an excellent pass catcher and Atlanta likes to use him in the flats as a security blanket. On a red zone possession, Atlanta cleared the right side of the field and ran Coleman in the flats for an easy touchdown. It is imperative that the Lions linebackers spy on Coleman and do not lose track of him. Detroit cannot let Atlanta convert easy third downs on missed assignments.
4. Call “shot plays” down the field
On Monday night, the Lions called a conservative game plan while facing a porous New York Giants offense. This will not work playing the Atlanta Falcons. The Lions will likely be in a shootout and must take chances for big plays. I believe Jim Bob Cooter will use a lot of play action and misdirection to deceive the young Falcons safeties (Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen) to make them hesitate and lose their assignment. The Falcons did well preventing the Packers from converting big plays with a hellacious pass rush. It is essential that Jim Bob Cooter uses max protections when calling shot plays. The Lions cannot afford to get behind the chains and take sacks.
5. Prevent chunk plays
The Detroit Lions must make big plays. The Detroit Lions must prevent big plays. The Atlanta Falcons had the most explosive offense in 2016 and are incredibly dangerous. Julio Jones is a future Hall of Famer and Matt Ryan was a deserving NFL MVP in 2016. Atlanta has a devasting 1-2 punch at running back in Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, along with two solid wide receivers in Mohammed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel. The Falcons use an array of misdirection and pass route combinations to confuse defenses and attack every part of the field.
The key to stopping an explosive offense is by being a threat with your pass rush. The Lions have shown success getting to the quarterback in the first two weeks. However, the Falcons are a different animal. Atlanta knows how to move Ryan from the pocket and set their protections correctly. Matt Ryan reads a defense pre-snap as well as anyone. Teryl Austin will need to disguise blitzes and coverages to confuse Ryan, therefore forcing check down throws and incompletions.
6. Get Marvin Jones Jr. in a groove
The Lions offense has been successful in the first two weeks despite the lack of playmaking from Marvin Jones. Jones has two touchdowns but with only seven targets, the Lions are struggling to get Jones involved in the passing game. Jones has received a lot of bracketed coverage and the game plan has deviated away from him. I understand why he has not been much of a factor.
The Lions do become too enamored with Jones Jr. as just a deep threat. He is more talented than just being a deep threat receiver. Against Atlanta, the Lions should get Jones looks with hitches and slants. Jim Bob Cooter needs to put Jones Jr. in situations where he can break tackles and make plays. Having Jones run deep routes all game is a waste of his talent.
7. Defend tight ends in the red zone
Honestly, this can be in the column every single week. The Lions did well in the first game but Giants tight end Evan Engram caught an easy touchdown Monday night. With the possibility of Jarrad Davis being out for Sunday’s game, it will be an even bigger challenge to guard the middle of the field.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin will play the WILL linebacker position if Davis is out. Reeves-Maybin will get a significant amount of snaps guarding tight ends. It will be important to communicate who has Falcons tight end Austin Hooper on every snap and defend the middle of the field. I am curious to see if Teryl Austin uses more man coverage in the red zone on Sunday.
8. Wide receivers screens will be a nice wrinkle
A staple of Jim Bob Cooter’s offense since taking over in 2015 is quick wideout screens on first and second down. Cooter has gone away from that in the first two weeks but this will be a good game to bring them back. Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant is an excellent cover corner and one way to attack him is with the screen game. Forcing Trufant to make one-on-one tackles against Golden Tate is an advantage for the Lions. This might get Marvin Jones in a rhythm and give him more opportunities to make plays.
9. Win third down
The biggest element that will determine a victor will be third down. Both teams have good offenses with excellent wide receivers and elite quarterbacks. Facing the Falcons offense, you have to get them off the field. Atlanta has been okay on third down (10-22 so far) but the Falcons like to use tempo to find a rhythm on offense. Getting them off the field could put Atlanta in an offensive rut and take them out of their game.
The Lions offense will see a lot of pressure on third down. Falcons head coach Dan Quinn does not play conservative and give the opposing quarterback time. He will press the wide receivers and blitz Matthew Stafford. This is where Jim Bob Cooter should feed Theo Riddick and Golden Tate to make plays after the catch and make defenders miss.
10. Send a message to the nation
This game for the Detroit Lions is not a must win. They have a more important game on the road against the Minnesota Vikings that will be paramount to win the NFC North next week. This is a game to show the public the Detroit Lions are a serious threat. The goal is to win the game and there are no moral victories in the NFL. It is important to compete and take advantage of a raucous Ford Field Sunday afternoon.
Next: Who are the 2017 Detroit Lions?
The Detroit Lions have two wins against teams that figure to be in the NFC playoff picture in December. The Lions are not receiving a lot of nationally and ultimately that does not matter much. What does matter is facing a loaded Atlanta Falcons team (the NFC favorite) and pulling off a humungous home victory. A win for the Lions proves they are a legitimate contender to not only win the NFC North but the whole damn conference.