Film breakdown: Detroit Lions find interior pass rush, pocket push

Josh Paschal and Levi Onwuzurike rushing from the interior could be just what the Detroit Lions need.

Aaron Glenn just had one of his best defensive game plans of his Detroit Lions tenure to end the regular season. The defense executed as well as they have in any game this season in a division-clinching thriller over the Minnesota Vikings.

But that could be challenging to replicate on the (home) road to the Super Bowl. It’s the best of the best in January for a reason, and on the NFC-side, there isn’t one potential remaining opponent left with a bubble gum and rubber-band offense like there were in the AFC. Their divisional round opponent Washington Commanders took all they could handle from Todd Bowles’ Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jayden Daniels came out on top.

Glenn has continually morphed his defense this season to be tailored to the players available to him. Even when he got Alex Anzalone back in Week 18 against the Vikings, Glenn took a risky approach to defend them. Against Minnesota, the Lions blitzed on 53.3% of the dropbacks (Lions’ second most this season) and they ran man coverage on 77.8% of dropbacks, which led all defenses in Week 18 and was the Lions’ highest of the season. Glenn even ran Cover 0 on 14 dropbacks, which was the most for any defense in a game this season. It was a dangerous gameplan that could have led to giving up explosive plays, but their hope was to create just enough disruptive plays, while exerting their intimidating style, to complement the Lions’ high-powered offense.

Moving forward, there is a chance they are able to rely on a second, offspeed pitch. Being able to win a little more with a four-man rush on obvious passing downs is a possibility. At this point in the season without their two best pass rushers in Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill, the Lions have struggled to be a consistent threat to the opposing quarterback and offensive line without blitzing. Perhaps there is a world where the Lions can win with a four-man rush at times while selectively mixing in their well-designed blitzes.

Against the Vikings, we saw a little change-up from what the Lions had been doing. Up until Week 18, out of necessity, the Lions have been deploying Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal as primarily edge rushers down the stretch. Against the Vikings, we saw both players kicking into the interior a little more, particularly Onwuzurike. More snaps on the interior would play to their strengths and unlock that pass rush a little more.

Some of their interior presence can be attributed to the in-game injury to interior defensive lineman Pat O’Connor, and some of it could be due to playing more nickel and lighter defenses (which could lead to being a little more susceptible to the run). We’ve seen that Za’Darius Smith and Al-Quadin Muhammad can win a handful of one-on-one matchups, but to elevate this defense and win with four-man pressure there needs to be more heat from the interior. I believe Onwuzurike and Paschal were always drafted because they’re ass-kickers in the run game but also because of their versatility and ability to beat the ever-loving snot out of an offensive guard in a pass rush situation.

Below I’ll be highlighting a few of the notable Week 18 pass rush snaps from Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal, and DJ Reader.

Pass Rush #1 – RDT Levi Onwuzurike (#91) & NT D.J. Reader (#98)

Onwuzurike lines up pre-snap on the outside shoulder of the left guard, crosses his face, and uses his brute force to collapse the pocket by walking undersized center Garrett Bradbury back into quarterback Sam Darnold’s lap. The pass is completed over the middle for the first down but it was a good quick, straight line, pressure on a second and short. Reader also shrinks the pocket further, one-on-one with the right guard, and is active to get his hand up into the passing lane nearly recording a batted pass.

Pass Rush #2 – LDT Levi Onwuzurike (#91)

Onwuzurike was the Lions’ most consistent pass rusher against the Vikings in Week 18 and they’ll need him to continue making his presence felt in the playoffs as it opens things up for other rushers. On this first down play, Smith got the sack, but it was the hard-charging Onwuzurike who urgently zoomed past both the right guard and the right tackle with a quick hand swipe and rip.

Pass Rush #3 – RDE Levi Onwuzurike (#91) and LDE Josh Paschal (#93)

While Onwuzurike and Paschal aren’t rushing from the interior on this play, Onwuzurike crunches the pocket by bull-rushing through the left tackle, and Paschal’s motor helps him to deliver a QB hit as Darnold throws it away.

Pass Rush #4 – RDT Levi Onwuzurike (#91) and NT D.J. Reader (#91)

The Lions attack with a treacherous two-man defensive line game between Onwuzurike and Reader, with Reader occupying both the center and left guard, and Onwuzurike looping around and flying into the backfield like a freight train to flush Darnold out of the pocket.

Bonus points to Jalen Reeves-Maybin for sending Darnold into the cheap seats on the end of this play.

Pass Rush #5 – LDT Levi Onwuzurike (#91)

Onwuzurike is just so much more equipped to beat a guard than he is an offensive tackle. It’s pure destruction on the quick pressure, and he is even able to flash his hands in the passing lane. If Darnold wasn’t so quick to the checkdown option, then that turns into a sack.

Pass Rush #6 – RDE Levi Onwuzurike (#91) & LDE Josh Paschal (#93)

Third-and-goal from the 2-yard line is a fine time for Onwuzurike and Paschal to be lined up outside of the tackles. It’s never a wise idea, however, for an offense to try to chip Paschal with a running back—even on play-action. Paschal and Onwuzurike meet in the backfield to again flush Darnold out of the pocket and into another throwaway.

Pass Rush #7 – LDT Josh Paschal (#93) & NT Levi Onwuzurike (#91)

Bash Brothers. It’s third-and-9 in the early fourth quarter, and Glenn calls a masterful blitz. He lines up Onwuzurike and Paschal next to each other, both on the interior, and brings both linebackers slicing behind them, Onwuzurike and Paschal devastate the right interior side of the line and help to serve up Darnold on a platter to Muhammad for the clean-up sack.

Pass Rush #8 – RDT Josh Paschal (#93)

I start making barbaric, animalistic noises from my couch any time I see Paschal lined up one-on-one with an offensive guard in a passing situation. He did so on three snaps against the Vikings, and registered two quarterback pressures. Paschal set up the left guard on his outside shoulder and quickly made an inside move, going against the guard’s momentum, and ripped through to smack Darnold for the inaccurate incompletion.