Breaking down the All-22 of how Aaron Glenn’s defense came up big on third-down in the Lions’ win over the Texans.
In the not-so-distant past, there were those around the NFL that wondered whether or not Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was the right person for the job. Throughout the end of 2022 and most of the 2023 season, this was the sentiment for a lot of fans and analysts around the world.
However, at the time, there was plenty of reasoning as to why one side of the ball was out-pacing the other. Lions general manager Brad Holmes and his staff had devoted a lot of resources towards improving the offensive side of the football, while they were still attempting to make do with what they had defensively.
Fast-forward to the middle of the 2024 season and we are seeing what Glenn can accomplish with more weapons at his disposal. From a revamped secondary filled with young playmakers, to a physically-imposing front seven—the defense has made serious strides this season, and appears to be trending upwards as we approach the back half of the regular season schedule.
During their comeback victory over the Houston Texans, the defense made play after play in order to keep things close, particularly on third down. They were able to hold Houston to field goals on several occasions when the offense put them in tough spots, and came away with two key takeaways that proved to be essential to pulling out the road win.
Overall, Houston finished 6-of-15 on third down conversions on the day, which sounds like a fairly respectable number when you look at it without all of the context. Unfortunately for the Texans, after converting their first two third-and-long situations early in the first quarter, they would go on to only convert four of their next 13 the rest of the game.
Let’s jump into the All-22 and break down how Glenn’s defense was able to come up big in several money-down situations that helped the Lions on their way to their eighth win of the year.
Generating Pressure
Third-and-11 on Detroit 11. 2:56 left in first quarter
After a quick three-and-out on offense, the Lions’ defense found themselves back on the field trying to keep Houston from going up two touchdowns in the first quarter.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is operating out of an empty set and the Lions counter the look by having five players along the line of scrimmage. Once the ball is snapped, both James Houston and Josh Paschal drop into coverage, while cornerback Amik Robertson blitzes off the edge.
You will hear people refer to this kind of concept as a “simulated pressure,” which is when a non-traditional pass rusher (like Robertson) rushes the quarterback while the traditional rushers (like Paschal and Houston in this instance) drop into coverage.
Defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike forces Stroud to step up and escape the pocket to the left, which allows for Houston to come up and make the play on the ball carrier for the sack.
Third-and-10 on Detroit 11. 4:16 left in second quarter
Now later in the second quarter, the Lions defense once again found themselves in a near-identical scenario from the play above—trying to limit the damage done and hold Houston to three points. Already leading 13-7 and looking to add more, the Texans are in the shotgun and in 11-personnel (one running back and one tight end).
The Lions opt to drop seven into coverage on this third-down attempt, and despite only rushing four—defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike is able to quickly defeat his block on the inside, forcing Stroud to bail out of the pocket and work out of structure.
Credit to cornerback Carlton Davis III for sticking to his assignment during the scramble drill. Watch as he stays glued to the receiver’s hip and uses the back of the endzone as an additional defender. It isn’t a terrible throw from Stroud. His receiver just ran out of real estate.
Another red zone opportunity for Houston ends in three points, and Lions stay within striking distance despite their first half offensive struggles.
Third-and-10 on Houston 47. 9:21 left in fourth quarter
On this snap, the Lions rush four and use linebacker Jack Campbell as a spy on Stroud. Both rushers win quickly with speed around the edge, forcing Stroud to climb the pocket, and thanks to good rush-lane integrity from defensive tackles Alim McNeill and Onwuzurike, there is nowhere for Stroud to escape.
Obviously having superstar edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson healthy would certainly help, but with that said—this was a really impressive performance from the Lions’ pass rush against a shorthanded Houston offensive line.
Defensive backs making plays
Third-and-9 on Houston 10. 15:00 left in fourth quarter
Now down by 10 in the fourth quarter, time was becoming more of a factor for the Lions. They needed a few more big plays from their defense in order to get this comeback really cooking, and some familiar faces came up big once again.
The pre-snap motion from Houston prompts cornerback Amik Robertson to step to his outside and change his coverage assignment, leaving safety Brian Branch to cover Texans receiver Xavier Hutchinson in the slot.
To me, this is a combination of Branch’s natural ability and football instincts on full display. Watch as he snaps out of his back pedal when Hutchinson bends his route towards the middle of the field. Without any wasted movement, Branch breaks on the ball and knocks it away, forcing another Texans punt.
Seven plays later, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown would reach paydirt, cutting the Houston lead to just three.
Third-and-4 on Detroit 40. 2:00 left in fourth quarter
It hasn’t been the easiest start to the year for Lions rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold, but to be fair—it rarely is for young defensive backs in this league. Arnold has been sticky on most reps, but because of the amount of man-coverage that the Lions play—he has drawn his fair share of defensive pass interference flags.
Lately, however, things appear to be slowing down for the rookie out of Alabama. After a couple of short runs from Houston running back Joe Mixon, the Texans were facing a crucial third-down attempt at the two minute warning.
With the game on the line, Aaron Glenn went back to his bread and butter as a play caller—man coverage with Kerby Joseph patrolling the deep portion of the field as the single-high safety. Initially, Hutchinson does a nice job of creating separation from Arnold off the line of scrimmage with his release.
As Hutchinson is working across the middle of the field, Paschal and Houston crush the pocket from the edges, forcing Stroud to hurry up his process just enough. Arnold is able to work his way back into the play and gets a hand on the ball, ending Houston’s final drive of the evening.
The ensuing 58-yard try from Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn was nowhere close to being good, and chances are you know what happens next.
Lions kicker Jake Bates deserves all of the flowers and recognition he is getting this season, but let’s save some love for Aaron Glenn, too. It doesn’t matter who is out for the week, or who his defense is charged with slowing down—Glenn has had his unit ready for each challenge, and is a big reason why the Lions currently sit at 8-1 atop the NFC.
