The Detroit Lions have a 1-1 record after two weeks and face a challenging schedule for the next several games at the very least. We could sit here for hours discussing all the bad things that have happened over the last few weeks, but let us concentrate on the good things instead.
Thus far, the Lions defense has shown promise, limiting two excellent offenses to only 20 points apiece. If they can maintain that level of play, the offense should be quite good once they settle into a rhythm, therefore the club will not be losing many games. The Lions only scored fewer than 20 points three times in the previous campaign.
Among the most obvious adjustments this year The defensive line’s performance thus far is consistent with last year. With his man-on-a-mission performance in the first two games, Aidan Hutchinson has propelled himself into the early debates for Defensive Player of the Year. Among all pass rushers in the league, he leads with 5.5 sacks, 18 total pressures, 14 pass rush victories, and a 42.3 percent pass rush win percentage. Hutchinson has led the defense, but he has plenty of support from his teammates as well.
So far, which defensive player for the Lions who is not Aidan Hutchinson has impressed you the most?
Alex Anzalone is my response.
Anzalone might be the Lions’ most reliable defender through the first two games, aside from Hutchinson. He has not missed a tackle thus far, leads the team in tackles, and has looked excellent in coverage thus far. Against the Rams, he had an especially strong performance with 11 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, and 5 stops. Anzalone is more at ease every game, and having a reliable defensive line in front of him does not hurt.Brian Branch would have been my choice if Anzalone had not been selected. With two unusually missed tackles and a generally underwhelming effort against the Bucs, Branch made a huge comeback against them. In addition to an interception later in the game, he had a huge throw deflection in the end zone that stopped a touchdown. With five PBUs, Branch leads the NFL as well. So far, it appears that switching to safety was the perfect decision for him.
