The Detroit Lions made a lot of noise last season. Detroit finished as the number three seed in the NFC. The Lions defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round. This was the first time in more than 30 years they won at least one playoff game and it was great they were able to win two.
In the NFC Championship Game, the Detroit Lions had the San Francisco 49ers on the ropes when they were up 24-7 at the half, but they lost the game. Hopefully, this will be a learning lesson for the Lions and head coach Dan Campbell moving forward. General manager Brad Holmes was busy handing out contract extensions this offseason.
Some of the players who received contract extensions were wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, quarterback Jared Goff, offensive lineman Penei Sewell, and offensive lineman Taylor Decker. The Lions are locking down their core players and they will soon need to give defensive end Aidan Hutchinson a new contract. Detroit has built this football team from the ground up.
Yahoo Sports Writer Frank Schwab Has One Burning Question About the Detroit Lions Defense Entering the 2024 Season
Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports listed the Detroit Lions as the number two ranked team entering the 2024 NFL season. He thinks that the Lions will be an elite team this season, but every team has one burning question about them before the season starts. Schwab asked:
“Is the Lions’ defense Super Bowl worthy?“
He responded to his question by saying:
“The Chiefs would not have won a Super Bowl last season without their elite defense. The 49ers made the Super Bowl not just due to Kyle Shanahan’s offense but also a top-five defense. There’s no question the Lions have a Super Bowl-level offense. It might end up being the best offense in the NFL this season. The question is if the defense is ready to do its part.
Detroit didn’t have a bad defense last season, but it needs to get better to reach the level of teams like the Chiefs and 49ers. The Lions gave up way too many big plays in the passing game to be a top defense. They gave up 69 20-yard passes last season, four more than any other NFL defense. For comparison, the Chiefs gave up 39, which tied for the best mark in the NFL. The Lions gave up the second-most yards per pass in the NFL. They tried to fix that by adding four cornerbacks: Amik Robertson, Carlton Davis III, Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Aidan Hutchinson is one of the NFL’s best defensive ends and the Lions signed D.J. Reader and Marcus Davenport to help him on the line. There is talent on the defense. If the results follow, the Lions could win it all this season.”
One of the most important moves that the Detroit Lions made this offseason was drafting cornerback Terrion Arnold 24th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Detroit moved up a few spots to draft him. What was very important about that selection was that the Green Bay Packers were ready to take a cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft. Green Bay needed defensive back help and this was a very smart move by the Lions to jump them at the time.
They can not afford to lose Aidan Hutchinson on the defensive line. He is the anchor of this defense. The Detroit Lions will need to make the stops when the game is on the line this season. Detroit no doubt will have an elite offense.
If they make the plays they need to on defense, they will be fine. The Detroit Lions could also make a move at the NFL trade deadline to improve the defense if they need to. They are looking to win their first Super Bowl title in franchise history with this regime.
