Detroit Lions: Loss Of Ndamukong Suh Looms Large

It’s been an interesting offseason for Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions. Is the loss of Ndamukong Suh bigger than we originally thought?

Perhaps no other franchise in the NFL was rocked as much as the Detroit Lions this past offseason.

They lost arguably their best player in Ndamukong Suh who took his talents to the Miami Dolphins.

Does it mean 2015 will be a rough one for Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and company?

Of course it doesn’t mean they can’t compete. This is the NFL, where teams can either skyrocket or fall at the drop of a hat.

However, although the Suh loss was discussed more than anything we saw these past couple of months, his loss has still been understated.

For many casual fans it’s impossible to fully grasp how dominant a player a guy like Suh really is. He plays on the interior of a defensive line and his name isn’t always being spit out by play-by-play guys on Sundays.

What he does is change offensive game plans.

During the week offensive coordinators and quarterbacks come together to scheme against a specific defense. Every time an offense is faced with facing the Lions, Suh is always the first name mentioned. He represents the first guy who can wreak havoc and completely ruin offensive games.

Taking on double-teams, doing the dirty work, and setting a tone for the rest of the defense is exactly what Suh did for Detroit.

Watch the Dolphins defense in 2015. They will immediately have a different attitude. Suh’s personality will set a tone that will trickle down all the way to the free safety on that unit.

Oftentimes teammates who don’t even want to be involved with the dirty work, will suddenly find themselves needing take on that role in order to defend Suh’s type of play.

When you’re a part of a unit, the leading guy creates the atmosphere.

Dec 21, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Lions defeated the Bears 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

So, not only does Detroit lose a guy who’s a three-time First-Team All-Pro selection and 2010 AP Defensive Player of the Year, but they’ll need to find a new identity on defense in 2015.

Finding this identity could take some time.

There’s no question bringing in Haloti Ngata will make up for some production lost. Although he’s getting a little long in the tooth at 31 years old, he can still prove effective at times.

The problem is he’s not a direct replacement for Suh.

Suh not only plugs the run well, he’s a monster in the pass rush game. Playing his usual three-technique (outside shoulder of the guard), Suh has racked up 36 sacks in his five seasons. This is an extremely solid number for an interior lineman.

Ngata is coming from a place in Baltimore that has played a 3-4 for all of his career. He either lined up as a 3-4 defensive end as a very heavy guy (335 pounds) in that spot, or at the nose tackle spot right in the centers face.

His job as a nose tackle in a 3-4 would be to take on the center and shed the block while holding ground to plug up either A-gap (on both sides).

Sep 28, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (92) smiles during the game against the Carolina Panthers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

The question remains whether Ngata is still quick enough to play the three-technique that Suh has vacated. The former Ravens’ standout best pass rushing days might be well behind him (3.5 sacks over the last two combined seasons).

During his prime he most definitely was up to the challenge which would be similar to playing the defensive end in a 3-4. Now, however, this replacement will loom large on the Detroit defense moving forward.

While Detroit will most likely be looking for offensive line help at their No. 23 overall selection in the upcoming draft, a real argument can be made that a beast upfront is the bigger need to keep their defensive identity intact.

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