Even without pads on, David Montgomery has gained respect for the Lions' defense. The unit is faster and more physical than he ever remembers in his four seasons with the Bears. Internal growth and external additions will have that effect.
"You can feel how physical they are and how physical they’re going to be. And they all fly around," Montgomery said Tuesday after the Lions' third practice of training camp. "They’ve got a lot of speed on that side of the ball. Just getting new faces and a couple new guys on defense and seeing those guys run around, it’s something different and new, and I’m sure not used to that.”
No, Montgomery is used to the defense that ranked 31st in the NFL in 2019, 32nd in 2020, 29th in 2021 and 32nd again in 2022. In eight career games against the Lions, he was comfortably over 4.0 yards per carry. He admitted after switching sides this offseason that during his first two seasons with the Bears, "I had the Lions circled on the schedule, like, let’s go have fun that game."
That changed last season when the Bears set a franchise record for losses and the Lions surged to their first winning season in five years. Their 8-2 run down the stretch included a pair of wins over Chicago, the second a 41-10 beatdown in Detroit. Montgomery was held to 24 rushing yards that day, a career low against the team he would sign with in the offseason.
A three-year, $18 million contract from the Lions was obviously enticing. So was the thought of joining a club on the rise. Montgomery said Tuesday that "there's no way I’m circling the Lions no more" as an opponent.
“Just coming here, seeing how they work, seeing how they practice, seeing how high-powered both sides of the ball are and what they can be, there will be no more circling the Lions from anyone," Montgomery said.
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The defense is better on paper. The offense has already shown how good it can be on the field, fueled by what Montgomery called "one of the best -- no, the best offensive line in the league."
"Just being able to be a part of that, I’m excited for it," he said. "Yeah, I really just can’t wait.”
And who could blame him? As Montgomery said this offseason, "you salivate" at the thought of running behind a line with Pro-Bowl caliber players across the board. His predecessors could attest. Jamaal Williams and D'Andre Swift averaged 2.8 yards before contact last season in Detroit. Montgomery barely averaged 2.0 in Chicago. He will find more room to run with the Lions, whose offense ranked fourth in the NFL last year. (The Bears' ranked 28th.)
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"All those guys upfront, they carry themselves in a manner like they expect the person running behind them to get six, seven, eight yards per time they touch the ball," Montgomery said. "That’s a big standard, big expectations you want to reach. Just knowing that you’ve got guys in front of you that want to do that and have that mentality, it definitely gives you another gear, lights up a fire that makes you say, ‘Alright, I’ve got to give more, because those guys up front are giving everything they got.'"
And one other reason Montgomery is excited to join the Lions? Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
"He's a genius," Montgomery said. "I’ve only been here for a short period of time, but I’ve learned so much about defenses that I hadn’t known, being in the league for four years that I’m learning now. Really smart guy, definitely lucky to be able to be in his offense.”
And maybe even luckier to be on this team.
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