Detroit Lions: 3 Things that can’t go as badly in Week 2 vs. 49ers
By Ash Thompson
The run defense was just as bad
The Lions run defense was just as bad as their running game. They surrendered a whopping 169 yards on the ground. The Jets were able to move the ball at will. The Lions defensive tackle group got pushed around. The linebackers were unable to fill gaps in the cracked and broken line. The safeties couldn’t save that situation. At least, that’s the narrative.
The Lions defense wasn’t actually that bad, they just let a big play ice the game. Isaiah Crowell‘s 62-yard touchdown run distorts their overall performance numbers greatly because of the small sample size. Other than that run, the Lions gave up 107 yards on 35 carries. That’s only 3.1 yards per attempt.
You can’t remove big plays from a game, however. In the NFL three blown plays like that are the difference between being in a position to win and getting blown out. Football is an emotional game, and it’s the big plays that swing momentum.
The Lions are likely going to be much better against the run in Week 2. They were only bad for a single play in Week 1.