DETROIT — With the NFL regular season only a few weeks away, the biggest questions about the Lions still center on the offensive line right now.
But the biggest answers are coming from the other side of the ball — first in training camp, and now in preseason action — and that’s probably a good thing.
Because while we wait to see just how efficient — and explosive — this offense will be out of the gate, especially with center Cade Mays likely sidelined until October, Kelvin Sheppard’s defense will be under the gun to start fast. And the Lions’ preseason home opener against Washington on Saturday, Aug. 22, was merely the latest evidence that unit is ready to hit the ground running.
This was the closest thing we’ll get to a dress rehearsal before a Week 1 kickoff against New Orleans here at Ford Field. And with a half-dozen defensive starters seeing game action early against the Commanders, we saw lot of what we’ve seen almost daily in camp.
More aggression. More pressure. More depth, too.
A small sampling of all that certainly made a difference in this game, as the Lions overcame a brutal start from Josh Dobbs and the offense to take a 17-13 victory over the Commanders.
“I thought the defense played good football — really good football,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. “Man, we were disruptive and they got us some stops there and got us back in it.”
Holding tough
Twice the defense took the field in disadvantaged situations in the first half Saturday. Both times, they answered the call in front of a noisy crowd of 50,042 at Ford Field.
The Lions already trailed 7-0 after a sack-fumble score on the second play from scrimmage. But after a Dobbs interception gave Washington the ball at midfield less than 5 minutes in, Sheppard’s crew responded with an impressive three-and-out stop.
On first down, rookie second-round pick Derrick Moore’s bull rush collapsed the pocket on Jayden Daniels’ blind side, while linebacker Devin White broke free on a zone blitz up the middle to flush the quarterback and force a first-down incompletion.
Edge rusher D.J. Wonnum had dropped into coverage on that play, but he blew up the next one by easily beating tight end John Bates with an inside move for a 10-yard sack. And after a shotgun draw on third down, the Commanders punted the ball back to Detroit.
Late in the half, Jake Bates’ failed 55-yard field-goal attempt gave Washington possession at its own 45 with 1:42 left. But D.J. Reed knifed into the backfield to stop rookie Robert Henry Jr. for a 5-yard loss on a toss sweep. (Reed celebrated with a standing back flip for good measure.)
After a short completion, Sheppard only rushed four on third down, but he got exactly what he wanted, anyway. Daniels couldn’t escape a squeezed pocket as Moore again got pressure — this time off the left side — and chased him down for a strip-sack fumble that Washington barely recovered.
“Obviously, we limited points,” said linebacker Derrick Barnes, one of the starters who played in the first half. “I mean, we always emphasize in critical situations, where there’s a sudden change and defense has to go out there, that we need to stop them from getting points. So that was big for us today.”
Getting evolved
It feels a bit bigger, though, because it’s more confirmation of what we’ve seen the last few weeks in Allen Park. A defense that’s routinely winning one-on-one battles up front in camp went out and did more of the same against Washington. The depth of talent there also seems to be matched by a deeper understanding of the scheme.
“We had all this stuff up last year, and we used quite a bit of it,” Campbell said, referencing some of the blitzes and two-man games we saw glimpses of against the Commanders. “The difference now is that these guys are (more experienced) in the system.
“We’re smarter, man. We’re more evolved. We have a better understanding (through) time on task with these guys of why we’re calling it and what we’re trying to take away and where the offense wants to go with the ball when you’re calling this stuff. I think that’s where we’ve really grown. And I know it’s early, it’s a preseason game, but that’s the biggest evolution. Shep’s done a really good job.”
So has the personnel department, it appears. The free-agent signing of Wonnum and the rookie additions of Moore (second round) and defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard (sixth round) already look like significant moves. Moore has only had a week of practicing in pads after missing the start of camp with a groin injury, “and I just know with him, the more reps he gets, the better he’s gonna get,” Campbell said after Saturday’s game.
As for Gill-Howard, the production sort of speaks for itself.
“You can feel him out there,” Campbell said, nodding. “And he just is relentless. He plays snap to whistle and he’s all-out.”
And when they’re all out there, it could be a formidable group. Should be, in fact, even without starting safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph to start the regular season.
With Aidan Hutchinson getting more help off the edge, and a healthy Alim McNeill creating havoc inside along with Tyleik Williams and rotating cast of others, there’s a good chance this defense is better equipped to win some games this fall, if necessary.
Against Washington, that meant stuffing the run all afternoon, allowing just 35 yards on 17 carries. But it also meant the timely sacks — Moore had another negated by a penalty — a half-dozen tackles for loss, including a few from Reed and the secondary, and a pair of forced fumbles, though one of those was negated by a penalty.
And since that’s probably the last we’ll see of the starters until the regular season, this was more than a win. It was time well spent.
“Yeah, I’m starting to feel like all the pieces are coming together,” Barnes said. “Obviously, it’s the preseason. But it’s really good to see.”
john.niyo@detroitnews.com
@JohnNiyo
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Niyo: Lions defense gives no cause for stage fright worries
Reporting by John Niyo, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By John Niyo, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
