Film review: The Detroit Lions’ new-look pass rush

The Detroit Lions’ formidable defensive front had an underrated performance against the Rams. Let’s take a closer look.

In the Detroit Lions’ thrilling overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams, we got a first taste of the revamped defensive line. Throughout the contest, the Lions defensive line was winning their individual matchups with the Rams’ M.A.S.H. unit offensive line and recorded 27 total quarterback pressures (per PFF). Their 27 quarterback pressures were the third most for any team in Week 1, and they were one of only seven teams to register more than 20 pressures on opening weekend.

Looking back at least a year, the 27 total quarterback pressures would have been tied for the second highest of any individual game for the Lions (the most was Week 5 when they had 31 against Carolina). Despite the consistent pressure in the pocket, there was some of the usual consternation from some of the Lions fanbase and media for the lack of “getting home” in the form of a quarterback sack. After all, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed over 300 passing yards, nearly 70% of his passes, and passed for 15 first downs (fourth in the NFL Week 1). It wasn’t just hurries from the defense, as has been a complaint in the past, the Lions recorded 12 combined quarterback sacks and hits which would have been the second-best game for the team last season and was the third most in the league for Week 1.

Coach Dan Campbell appeared on 97.1 The Ticket on Tuesday and explained the Lions pass rush against the Rams perfectly.

“You could put two high school tackles out there and we weren’t going to get to the quarterback, as fast as he was throwing the ball, I mean, that ball came out in a hurry. If you look at any time he held the ball significantly, we were beating these tackles consistently, so it wasn’t about that.”

Matthew Stafford was being a sorcerer overcoming the patchwork offensive line and Puka Nacua’s injury with his deep pocket presence, efficient decision-making, and next-level arm deliveries to mitigate the pass rush as much as possible. Operating out of shotgun and pistol passing sets with at least three wide receivers on the field at all times was also a benefit to avoiding more disruptive plays from the pass rush. It was a superb game plan from Sean McVay but even more extraordinary execution from Stafford.

Stafford was second in the league in Week 1 with 21 dropbacks lasting less than 2.5 seconds. On passes 20+ yards downfield, he also only had one completion on four attempts. A staggering 75.5% of Stafford’s passes were at 0-9 air yards or behind the line of scrimmage which would have been his second-highest figure of any games last season.

It was a deliberate quick-game passing attack approach from the Rams, as they knew they didn’t have the pass protection to allow for deeper receiving routes. The Lions pass rush performed admirably given McVay and Stafford did everything in their power to not let the backup offensive line cause negative plays in the passing game.

Circling back to the consternation regarding the pass rush, as I have reason for optimism. The new defensive line is, by far, the most skilled and deep group the Lions have had since arguably 2014 when they recorded 42 sacks and were third in the NFL in points allowed (17.6 per game). The pass rush efforts are no longer to hope that Aidan Hutchinson gets to the quarterback; he has reinforcements.

New Hutchinson edge rushing sidekick Marcus Davenport recorded six quarterback pressures including one sack and two quarterback hits. This was the first time Davenport had recorded a game with at least six pressures and three combined sacks/hits since 2019 in a Week 5 game against Tampa Bay. The healthy and rejuvenated Onwuzurike recorded five quarterback pressures including one sack and two quarterback hits. Both players recorded at least five quarterback pressures and at least three combined sacks/quarterback hits. That stat only occurred once for any non-Hutchinson defensive player in a single game last year. It already happened twice in Week 1.

Additionally, prior to Sunday, there were also only two times where another player, besides Hutchinson, even recorded at least five quarterback pressures in a game last year. Each week should be a rotation of Hutchinson and a combination of players eating in the form of drop-back disruption.

Hutchinson hasn’t seen this sort of supporting cast in his NFL career, and that’s without having mentioned that Alim McNeill will be cranking things up a notch in his fourth season, the Lions haven’t been able to deploy DJ Reader, and they’ll get some contribution from Josh Paschal in his rotational role. To further highlight the improved well-rounded defensive line group, below I’ve reviewed a handful of clips for you.

Aidan Hutchinson

Hutchinson was bringing it all game long. I have to imagine it was a tough film session for the Rams offensive line coach and his tackles. Hutchinson threw an array of moves at pass protectors, including spamming his spin move, but I highlighted these two snaps because he was winning in the most efficient manner. With these inside counter moves, Hutchinson sets up the offensive tackles to kick slide too deep and lose all inside leverage to leave Hutchinson with a straight path to the quarterback. Unlike the spin move, Hutchinson is able to maintain forward momentum, without turning his back, and its a valuable move to have in his bag of tricks.

Marcus Davenport

This is what the Lions envisioned when they signed Davenport in free agency this spring. A long-armed bully. Beat the absolute stuffing out of the offensive tackle opposite Hutchinson, make their life hell, and collapse the pocket for the quarterback. Davenport will need to maintain outside leverage consistently, to funnel the quarterback inside, but overall he displayed promising results of all the traits that made the Saints trade a second first-round selection to move up and draft him.

Levi Onwuzurike

In the first clip, the race to the quarterback, Onwuzurike decisively beats left guard Steve Avilla with a swim move and combines to sack Matthew Stafford in under 2.5 seconds. When an interior pass rusher wins that quickly, quarterbacks like Stafford have no emergency evacuation plan for the natural disaster that is Onwuzurike. After all, Onwuzurike has been through with his back injury journey, an opening-game sack has to be very satisfying. The second clip is a sight to see as he twists around Kyle Peko unblocked and displays some of the athletic traits, including a 4.88 40-yard dash, that commanded Brad Holmes’ attention and desire to draft him early.

Alim McNeill

Both plays are a frightening sight for a quarterback. McNeill coming at you, right up the gut, as a downhill bowling ball of butcher knives with a full head of steam. McNeill’s pass rush plan gives him a lot of advantages whenever he is single-blocked by an offensive lineman (he even beats two in the second clip). McNeill plays with great leverage, powerful grip strength to control the blocker, active hands to refrain from stalling out, and most importantly, his motor is also running to work the edge of a blocker’s shoulder to find daylight to the quarterback. McNeill wasn’t as productive in the stat sheet as the other three pass rushers highlighted, but he’s potentially in store for a career year and will have games where he takes over with inside penetration.

The Lions have assembled a group that now can have multiple pass rush wins on any given snap. It’s a group that complements each other’s skill sets, can take over games, and should have most offensive coordinators plan around. This group should only get better with every game together, plus they benefit from a majority of their opponents this season not featuring as dynamic of a duo of playcaller and in-command quarterback as they did in Week 1, and I expect that to start this week with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.