The Detroit Lions don't have much wiggle room as they are on the outside looking in for the playoffs. In Week 15, they have a huge contest against the Los Angeles Rams and former quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The Rams are currently the No. 1 seed in the NFC and seek to build on that lead against the Lions. Their passing offense has been lights out this season, and the Lions could be in for a long day defending Puka Nacua and Davante Adams based on the sheer fact that those guys are bigger than any CB on Detroit's roster.
Lions' DBs Have Clear Disadvantage Versus Rams' Wideouts
Anytime you have to defend two stars in Adams and Nucua, it's a tough ask, but since these guys have a size advantage, it's only that more difficult.
Player Name | Player Height |
|---|---|
Amik Robertson | 5'8" |
Khalil Dorsey | 5'8½" |
D.J. Reed | 5'9⅛" |
Avonte Maddox | 5'9⅛" |
Daniel Thomas | 5'10" |
Thomas Harper | 5'10⅛" |
Rock Ya-Sin | 5'11¾" |
Nick Whiteside | 6'0" |
Kerby Joseph | 6'1" |
The Lions also signed cornerback Arthur Maulet to the roster on Tuesday, yet he's also a smaller defensive back, standing 5'9".
Based on these players' listed heights, anyone who lines up against Adams (6'1") and Nucua (6'2") will have to play bigger than they are, and that's a tough task for sure. The way that Sean McVay uses these two guys is impressive, as he finds a variety of ways to get them involved.
Going into this game, Nucua is second in the NFL in receiving yards (1,186) while Adams is first in touchdowns (14). Los Angeles makes a concerted effort to throw Adams fades and slants in the red zone, which has been nearly unstoppable to defend this year.
Meanwhile, Nucua is a weapon anywhere on the field, and Detroit will need its secondary to bring its A-game. And that still might not be enough to close down this duo. Sometimes, when a player is bigger than you, they can use their pure strength and size to outmatch you. And that's a real possibility in Week 15.
We also need to take into account that Stafford is playing at an MVP level. Through 13 games, he is fourth in the NFL in passing yards (3,354), first in passing touchdowns (35), and fifth in QBR (68.8). Stafford has consistently put his receivers in terrific situations to succeed, and with them having a height advantage, that could be an area he looks to exploit.
The beauty of the NFL is that anything can happen on gameday. For the Lions to have a chance to come away with a win against the Rams, they will need everyone in the secondary to play bigger than their size to make things extremely difficult for Adams and Nucua. If they fail to do so, it'll be a tough day for this defense.