Detroit Lions: What the new defense means to Mathew Stafford’s offense
By Bruce Walker
If Matt Patricia keeps the offense intact, will the anticipated improvement on the Detroit Lions defense have a positive effect on the offense?
The Detroit Lions defense gave up an average of 23.5 points per game last year. That was poor enough to rank just 21st in the NFL. At the same time, the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots surrendered only 18.5 points per game, good for fifth in the league.
In 2016, the difference was even greater as the Patriots defense allowed 6.8 points per game fewer than the Lions. In 2015, the difference it was 5.3 points per game.
To add a bit of perspective, those five points last year would have come in pretty handy against the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and the Pittsburg Steelers.
Would those five points per game have automatically turned those losses into wins? Not necessarily. I am saying that in the NFL, every point matters, and if you have a defense that prevents the other team from scoring on a regular basis, (news flash alert) you have a much better chance of winning.
It takes some pressure off when the offense does not need to score as often in order to win games. An opponent will undoubtedly expect the Lions to try to run the ball on a more regular basis. To protect a lead, to manage the clock, to simply be diverse. They will have that ability, knowing that the defense will be able to hold. That, in and of itself can open some downfield options and make the offense more productive.
Tom Brady actually threw for more yards (4,577-4,446), more touchdowns (32-29) fewer interceptions (8-10) and had a higher quarterback rating (102.8-99.3) than Matthew Stafford this year, although not by much in any of those categories. The amazing thing is that Stafford accomplished all that while being sacked 25% more often than Brady!
In addition, the Patriots had a top-ten rushing attack while the Lions ranked dead-last in the NFL.
Combining the Patriots’ fifth-ranked scoring defense and their tenth-ranked rushing offense, how much do you suppose that those top-ranking stats helped Brady?
The next question is, how much better can Matthew Stafford be when he actually has those critical tools?
Soon-to-be-hired head coach Matt Patricia has shown that configuring a defense that is consistently stingy in points allowed is a strength of his. On top of that, he has also shown the ability to utilize personnel efficiently and productively to achieve those results.
Next: 2018 QB prospect compared to Matthew Stafford
We still do not know who the defensive coordinator or position coaches will be. In a way, I suppose that it does not matter. At this point, it is enough for me to believe that Patricia has a plan. I can’t wait to watch that plan unfold. And I am just as excited to see how the plan helps Matthew Stafford.