You've probably seen the stats. If not, consider this your warning.
The Lions have allowed more than 400 rushing yards through two games. Their run defense ranks last in the league in both yards per game -- 204 -- and yards per carry -- 6.5. It's hard to say which number is worse.
And this is a defense that was supposed to better against the run this season with a revamped unit up front. The biggest addition was Danny Shelton, the former Patriot who signed a two-year, $8 million deal to fill the hole left behind by Damon Harrison.
Shelton said the early struggles fall directly on the shoulders of the defensive line.
"Honestly, that's just part of the D-tackle, D-line room," he said on Wednesday. "We just take all the blame up front because it starts with the guys up front. If we’re gonna stop the run, we gotta do it up front first."
If they keep playing like this, they won't be stopping anything. Packers running back Aaron Jones had the game of his life last week, piling up a career-high 168 yards and two touchdowns -- on just 18 carries. If you're doing the math at home, that's more than nine yards per carry. Not ideal.
Worse, a good chunk of Jones' yards came *before contact. He was rarely met in the backfield, and he was barely touched at all on his 75-yard touchdown scamper to open the second half. A combination of gaping holes and shoddy tackling made for an easy afternoon for Jones and the rest of Green Bay's backfield.
Shelton admitted some frustration has slipped into Detroit's D-line room. Of course it has.
"Obviously we’re going to be angry. Personally I don’t like giving up 100-plus yards, 200-plus yards. That’s just something that as a group we’re going to have to step it up even more, get into the film even more and just continue to have more pride with it," he said.
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No one up front has meet expectations so far. Shelton has eight tackles, but the advanced metrics tell a much less encouraging story. Same goes for Detroit's re-tooled core of linebackers, who are supposed to comprise the teeth of this defense.
Christian Jones, Jahlani Tavai, Jarrad Davis, free-agent acquisitions Jamie Collins and Reggie Ragland and rookie John Penisini have an average Pro Football Focus rating of 51.7. Not ideal.
Ragland said Monday the unit's struggles are mostly mental. He said the defense has the pieces it needs -- "We just gotta go play f**king ball." Shelton echoed his words, in slightly more measured fashion.
"Like a lot of guys said, we just gotta start playing ball better. That’s plain and simple, really. Just playing ball better, dominating and being hungry to win," Shelton said. "That’s something we're going to have going into this game, locked in and everybody focused on stopping the run."
It won't be easy. The Cardinals have topped 150 yards rushing each of their first two games. They rank fifth in the NFL in yards per game and eighth in yards per carry. And their most dangerous rusher might be their quarterback.
It's another tall task for Detroit's defense, and another chance to get things right.
"It’s my job to get the players to believe in (the game plan) and go out and execute it better," said defensive coordinator Cory Undlin. "I’ve got to do a better job coaching, we’ve got to do a better job playing, and I would leave it at that. We’re going to move forward and we’re going to get it fixed."