Things aren’t looking good for the Detroit Lions recently.
After an 8-2 start to the season, the Lions have dropped two of their past four games to divisional opponents, including a Week 14 loss to the lowly Chicago Bears.
A lot of those issues can be attributed to a defense that’s surrendered at least 20 points in five consecutive games and ranks 25th in the NFL in points allowed.
Detroit’s offense has typically played well enough to save them but struggled to score touchdowns during those recent losses.
This has former NFL defensive back and current analyst Ryan Clark worried about their rest-of-season potential.
“The Lions had a chance to be the third-best team in the NFC,” Clark said on the Pat McAfee show Monday, “and now as their play starts to drop, you’ve got to start saying to yourself, ‘Is this team even playing better football than their NFC North opponent or contender, the Green Bay Packers.’ And right now, I don’t think they are.”
“What’s going on with this Detroit Lions defense and their pass rush..
The Lions had a chance to be the third best team in the NFC and now you gotta start asking are they even playing better than the Green Bay Packers” ~ @Realrclark25 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/GgjH4Fse71
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 11, 2023
As Clark noted in the video above, the Lions’ secondary and pass rush have both been bad this season.
The Lions have allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw for at least 200 yards in all but two games this year and have given up 21 passing touchdowns – which is the sixth-most in the NFL.
Detroit has the 20th-fewest interceptions this season with nine, and only cornerback Jerry Jacobs has more than two on the year.
The team also ranks 25th in sacks with 28 and star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson hasn’t produced recently as well with two sacks in the past eight games.
If the Lions want to make a playoff run, the defense must improve.
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