In an ideal world, the Detroit Lions could've had the best safety tandem in pro football. Unfortunately, Kerby Joseph's freak injury has raised more questions than answers, and Brian Branch, albeit trending in the right direction, has yet to suit up this season.
With Avonte Maddox in Injured Reserve, the Lions have had to run with Chuck Clark and Christian Izien, and the results haven't been good at all. They signed Izien to a one-year, $1.25 million deal to be a depth piece, and while expectations shouldn't be as high for a player like him, he's still left plenty to be desired.
Izien has been one of the worst pass defenders on the team, which, all things considered, is a lot to say. After four weeks and three games, the Lions clearly cannot wait for Brian Branch to get back on the field.
Christian Izien isn't helping the Detroit Lions' pass defense
To be fair, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers strong safety has done a solid job against the run. He has 10 stops and has been at his best when lining up close to the line of scrimmage and stacking up the box. Other than that, he's been a problem.
Through three games, Izien has given up 12 catches on as many targets for 90 yards and a touchdown. Opposing quarterbacks have a 125.7 passer rating when targeting him, and he gave up 54 yards after the catch in the last game alone.
While there should be no shame in struggling against a player of Tetairoa McMillan's caliber, his performance against the Carolina Panthers may have cost the team the game. He was nowhere even close to where he was supposed to be and struggled to stay close to his assignment every single time he was in coverage.
The Lions have too much talent on offense, but unfortunately, they also have to get stops to get the job done if they want to be considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender. They haven't been that terrible against the running game, but why would teams even try to run the ball against them when they can't cover?
This might be a bit unfair, given that Izien was never supposed to play this much in the first place. That said, he's failing to make the most of the extended opportunities, and there's no reason whatsoever to keep him on the roster beyond this season.
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