Three and Out: In Build and Spirit, these Lions are the modern day Bad Boys
Justin Rogers | Detroit Football Network (Substack)
Allen Park — Here are three observations after a second viewing and a night to ponder the Detroit Lions’ 52-6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Bad Boys in build and in spirit
For the better part of two years, I’ve been comparing these Lions to another iconic team around these parts, the Bad Boys-era Detroit Pistons.
The reference has been tied to the Lions' linear build around a stable foundation. It’s something rarely seen in modern professional sports with the evolution of the salary cap and free agency, plus shorter leashes for coaches, leading to more frequent schematic and personnel overhauls.
Back to the Bad Boys. Part of what made them so endearing locally was that we took the ride with the individuals as they made incremental steps to reach the top of the mountain. We saw the first-round exit in 1986, falling short in the conference finals in 1987, and not being good enough to topple the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers in the 1988 Finals before finally getting over the hump the next two years.
Seeing photos of a champagne-soaked Isiah Thomas, smiling, clutching the championship trophy in the locker room carries added nostalgia because we watched the captain, that team’s heart and soul, fall short multiple times and keep coming back a little more driven the next season.
Lions fans are getting to experience something similar with this group. They saw the foundation laid in 2021 with the acquisition of quarterback Jared Goff via trade and the selections of Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown in the draft. They’ve witnessed the build from threatening to go winless that first year to the midseason turnaround in 2022 to last year’s run to the NFC Championship.
When the Pistons finally won their title, they left little doubt it was their time, winning the first eight games of the season on the way to a league-best 63-19 record. In 2024, it’s the Lions sitting atop the NFL’s standings.
Amusingly, the Lions are going about it with a little bit of a Bad Boys attitude, as well. Let's not kid ourselves: The Lions are bullies. They pulled down the Jaguars' pants and stuck their heads in a toilet Sunday. Even as they got ahead four scores, they continued to blitz on defense and throw downfield on offense.
They embody what Dan Campbell talked about the day he arrived.
“We’re going to kick you in the teeth, all right," Campbell said in what continues to be his most famous sound byte. "And when you punch us back, we’re going to smile at you. And when you knock us down, we’re going to get up. And, on the way up, we’re going to bite a kneecap off.”
The Jaguars never really punched back after getting kicked in the teeth on Sunday, but the Lions took their kneecaps any way. And you better believe they smiled while doing it.
Bill Laimbeer would be proud.
Fundamentally sound
That was one of the more unique defensive performances I remember watching.
Typically, when an opponent scores just six points, the defensive stat sheet is stuffed with hallmarks of playmaking.
That was hardly the case against Jacksonville.
Yes, there was Kerby Joseph’s league-leading seventh interception that ended a scoring threat late in the third quarter.
And newcomer Za’Darius Smith sliced through the interior of Jacksonville’s offensive line as part of a third-down blitz in the fourth frame, splitting a sack with linebacker Jack Campbell.
But what else?
That was the only sack and turnover of the game for the Lions. Additionally, the defense only hit Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones one other time and the unit didn't record another pass breakup until a replay review overturned a deep throw to Brian Thomas down the sideline midway through the fourth quarter, giving backup safety Brandon Joseph credit for a pass defended.
What this means is the Lions played with exceptional fundamentals throughout the contest. Gaps were filled, coverage was sticky and defenders flew to the ball at every turn.
The pristine execution is highlighted in some of the more obvious numbers, such as the Jaguars’ inability to get anything going on the ground. Travis Etienne was already having a difficult year coming into the contest and the Lions weren’t about to let his fortunes flip at Ford Field, holding the third-year dual-threat to 27 yards on 12 carries (and just 6 more yards on three catches).
But the number that stood out, after some manual tabulation this morning, was yards after the catch. The Jacksonville passing attack centered around quick throws, further negating Detroit’s pass rush. But on 17 completions, the Jaguars mustered just 71 yards after the catch.
For context, NFL teams are averaging 112 yards this season.
The cherry on top is the Lions missed a season-low two tackles.
Obviously, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will unearth plenty to correct in the unending pursuit of perfection, but this game should ultimately serve as teach tape for effort and execution.
Although the hunt for big plays never stops, the Lions didn’t need them Sunday because all 11 players consistently did their jobs within the scheme. It might not be as exciting as seven sacks or four turnovers, but it further highlights how far Detroit’s defense has come this season.
Next man up, again
Alex Anzalone's injury is a gut punch, but how can you not be inspired by his positivity in the hours after learning he'll likely miss most, if not the remainder of the regular season?
“As an athlete, a lot of times you think, ‘Why did this have to happen?’” Anzalone posted to social media. “But I like to think about all the countless reps something bad didn’t happen. I’m beyond blessed! I’ll be back in no time, fresh legs and all.”
Anzalone is no stranger to injury. Shoulder issues gave him all kinds of issues in college and early in his pro career, costing him most of his first and third seasons in the NFL.
In Detroit, he’s largely put those durability issues behind him. He missed the end of the 2021 campaign with a shoulder issue, but just two contests the past two-and-a-half seasons, including one earlier this year with a concussion where he had been cleared, but the team opted to proceed with an abundance of caution.
The immediate drive to get back is something we’ve seen with some of the roster's other players who have suffered what would be season-ending injuries under normal circumstances. Guys like Aidan Hutchinson and Derrick Barnes are attacking their rehab with maximum effort in hopes of rejoining the team in what’s lining up to be a magical run.
But what shouldn’t be ignored is how well the Lions have absorbed this string of body blows.
Remarkably, they haven’t lost since they lost Hutchinson — a legitimate contender for Defensive Player of the Year — went down. Whether they've had to turn to inexperienced depth or plug in a practice squad promotion, they've kept chugging.
The Lions will have to patchwork another solution at linebacker. At least the team's depth is a little more reliable at that position. Jack Campbell was drafted in the first round last year for this kind of role. Malcolm Rodriguez started 15 games in 2022 and is nearing 1,000 defensive snaps in his career. And that’s half of the reps Ben Niemann has played. He figures to round out the initial rotation sans Anzalone.
