Can the Lions stop the run? The answer, six games into the season, comes in the form of another question: Can anyone run it on the Lions? Detroit's defense swallowed another rushing attack in the team's 20-6 win over the Bucs last week, further proof that the Lions are for real.
"We’re playing as one unit and our bigs in the middle really started it off for us in the run game," Dan Campbell said Tuesday on 97.1 The Ticket. "As long as we’re able to curtail these run games and make teams one-dimensional, we’re going to have a real good chance of getting off the field. And that proved to be true the other day."
The Lions' NFL-worst defense last season allowed 146.5 rushing yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry. It was flimsy and faulty up front, especially prior to some schematic adjustments in the second half of the season. After the Lions had overhauled the scheme last offseason in an attempt to create more penetration -- which only created more holes -- Aaron Glenn decided to "calm it down and get back to what we believe in," per Campbell, to restore some confidence in the players.
The result, this season, is one of the best run defenses we've seen in these parts: the Lions are allowing the fewest rushing yards per game (64.7) and second fewest yards per carry (3.3) in the NFL. They've held the six lead running backs they've faced -- Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Walker III, Bijan Robinson, Aaron Jones, Miles Sanders and Rachaad White -- to 29.2 yards per game. Those same running backs have averaged more than double that against everyone else.
"I think it’s just a trust thing," defensive lineman John Cominsky said. "We’ve really glued together from the D-line to the linebackers to the backend and how that all marries up in our run fits and trusting that guys are going to be in their gap. We don’t have guys trying to do too much. Everybody's just doing their job, staying in their lane and it’s paying off for us."
It's demoralizing for a defense to have the ball rammed down its throat; see Week 16 last season against the Panthers. It's just as invigorating to shut it down. As linebacker Alex Anzalone says, "We take the run game as you’re testing our manhood." Alim McNeill, one of the 10 best interior defenders in the NFL this season per Pro Football Focus, says the Lions took it upon themselves this offseason to level up on the ground.
"That’s what we want to prove every year, every game. To be able to stop the run, eliminate the run, it’s a mentality thing and the way that we’re preparing," said McNeill.
The Bucs' first run last Sunday went for two yards. Their next went for one. It set the tone for a game in which the Lions held Tampa to under three yards per carry, as big a reason as any why they wound up dominating third down. The Bucs' defense was billed as the unit to watch last week. It was the Lions' defense that won the game.
"Our defense did exactly what it’s been doing and then some," said Campbell. "I think they took this as a challenge. Everybody knows how good Tampa’s defense is and I think they took that to heart, like, ‘Everybody wants to talk about Tampa’s defense, what about us?’ I think they’re wanting to prove to everybody that we have a real defense, and they went out and did that again."
One of the biggest plays of the game came from defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs, who got his hand up to deflect a Baker Mayfield pass that led to an interception by Will Harris deep in Tampa territory in the first quarter. Buggs, who started 13 games last season, wasn't even active for the first two games this season. He's reclaimed a rotational role up front, where he says he's "just doing my job: being a leader, being violent, being fundamentally sound and just being where I’m supposed to be."
"It’s just good to be back and to be able to contribute and play a part in all the wins that we’re going to have," Buggs said.
Detroit's pass defense has been strong in its own right, especially down three starters in the secondary in C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley and Brian Branch. (Branch, who's missed the past two games with an ankle injury, is trending toward a return this week.) Cam Sutton and Jerry Jacobs teamed up last week to hold Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in check.
"They were looking forward to this challenge," Campbell said. "Those are two really good receivers and I thought they went out there and competed their ass off."
The Lions get another challenge this week, on the road against another first-place team. The Ravens run the ball more than any team in the NFL and rank fifth in rushing. If the Lions keep proving their manhood, they'll like where they stand at the end of the year.
"We got helluva players on this defense and helluva coaches," said Buggs. "The ceiling is high, man. We just gotta continue to be dominant each day we come to work."