Detroit Lions fans weren't particularly happy with the team's defensive performance on Sunday. Even though the Lions were able to escape with the win over the New York Jets to improve to 2-1 for the season, it wasn't a defensive masterpiece. The Lions allowed Geno Smith to throw for 31/37 for 321 yards and three touchdowns, but it was still the best defensive performance of the season.
A big reason why was the improved defensive backfield. Lions fans were fearing the worst after watching their team get carved up by the Saints and the Bills in back-to-back weeks. Since then, they lost Avonte Maddox and Thomas Harper to injury, leaving them significantly short-handed on the secondary.
How Dan Campbell and Kelvin Sheppard were going to find a solution to this problem was one of the top storylines heading into Week 3. It turns out that not only did they find a solution against the Jets, but they may also have found their long-term starter at safety.
It took two games for Christian Izien to prove himself as the deserving starter at safety
The Lions trusted offseason addition Christian Izien to start next to Chuch Clark at safety. In his first start of the season, Izien exceeded all expectations and was one of the best players on the field for Detroit.
Izien led the Lions with 11 tackles, three of them for loss. He also had a pass breakup and kept Geno Smith to an 83.9 passer rating when targeted in coverage. He essentially played every snap and received an 80.7 defensive grade on Pro Football Focus, the third-highest among Lions defenders.
For a player who has spent most of his career at nickel corner and began his Lions tenure with the intention of playing nickel, this was an impressive performance. It may also have secured his starting spot for the foreseeable future.
Maddox is out for the season. Harper just landed on the injured reserve list. Kerby Joseph's NFL future is in serious jeopardy. Brian Branch still needs time before returning to practice. There is a big hole at safety, and Izien seems like the best fit for that hole right now.
The problem is that the Lions may also need Izien elsewhere. Roger McCreary left plenty to be desired in the slot. Rock Ya-Sin and DJ Reed weren't particularly effective on the outside. Could Campbell and Sheppard decide to use Izien to replace one of these poor performers?
Izien was also solid in Week 2 at Buffalo. This is now two weeks in a row that he looked like a difference-maker out there. The 26-year-old, whose arrival went under the radar in the offseason, may have established himself as an important part of the defense already.
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