Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport are paid to rush the passer. On two separate third downs early in the Packers' rout of the Lions' last Sunday, new Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard called for one of his top two defensive ends to drop into coverage. It backfired both times.
With the Packers facing 3rd and 6 from the Lions' 42 on the opening drive of the game, Hutchinson dropped off the line while Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell blitzed, and Jordan Love hit a wide-open Matthew Golden coming across the middle for an 11-yard gain. The drive ended in a touchdown four plays later.
On the next drive, with the Packers facing 3rd and 7 from the Lions' 49, it was Davenport who dropped into coverage while the Lions blitzed Anzalone and Brian Branch. Love had Jayden Reed uncovered down the seam and hit him with a pass over Davenport's head for a 26-yard gain. The drive ended in a field goal.
Hutchinson, who had 7.5 sacks in five games last season before fracturing his leg, didn't seem too thrilled with the concept of dropping into coverage when asked about it three days later.
"We adjusted as the game moved on and got out of that a little bit more, but just happened to be in those positions in that game, which is obviously not the most ideal situation," Hutchinson said Wednesday. "The important thing is, we adjusted and we evolved."
Hutchinson smiled when asked if the concept will become a core part of the Lions' defense and said, "I don’t think so, no."
Davenport, for his part, said that he doesn't mind dropping into coverage "because you gotta be able to do a lot of things" on defense and that he did it on occasion earlier in his career with the Saints.
"You can’t give everybody a bead that we’re trying to (pass rush)," he said.
Except, on third down, that's exactly what Hutchinson and Davenport are supposed to do.