3 Immediate Changes Cory Undlin Must Make as Defensive Coordinator
Lions fans, your football team officially has a new defensive play-caller.
It was announced Sunday by Cory Undlin himself during a video conference with Detroit media that he will replace third-year Detroit head man Matt Patricia as the man calling the shots on defense.
And according to Undlin, he'll be calling the plays from the sideline.
“I’ve got plenty of eyes up top, and just personally, I like -- personally -- there is a feel of being on the field," Undlin told reporters Sunday. "And then, anytime for me when you’ve got to go through another conduit to get it out there, it’s just, it’s more efficient for me. And if you guys haven’t got to know me, there’s an element of being in front of (players) and looking at them when you’re coaching them. And that would be my preference, and Matt (Patricia) completely agrees with that."
The onus is now on Undlin to help revamp a defense that struggled mightily in both rushing the passer and stopping opponents' passing games a year ago.
Here are three immediate changes he must make in order to try to accomplish the task.
Be more aggressive
The key focus for Undlin needs to be on getting more consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback in 2020.
Without that happening, the Lions will be right back where they were a season ago -- near the bottom of the league in every single major defensive statistical category.
And one way of generating more pressure is by being more aggressive and blitzing the quarterback on a more frequent basis.
They heavily relied upon three-man rushes last season, and hardly ever sent extra players to blitz. And as the season progressed, that philosophy of creating pressure proved less and less effective.
The opposition got way too much time on a consistent basis to throw the football, and it frequently led to breakdowns in coverage.
In 2020, Undlin needs to deploy Detroit's linebackers more when blitzing, including fourth-year linebacker Jarrad Davis.
Davis finished as the 17th-best pass-rusher at his position last year, per Pro Football Focus.
And he also finished as the 16th-best pass-rushing linebacker in each of his first two seasons in the league.
Davis and his linebacker counterparts were largely ineffective in many other facets a year ago.
So, part of Undlin's job is to get creative and deploy them in a different manner this upcoming season.
And by doing so, there's a good chance the Lions' pass rush will become more effective.
Disguise the pass rush
Instead of just sending more blitzers, Undlin could also get a bit creative and disguise what he's throwing at opposing offensive attacks.
This could involve Danny Shelton at nose tackle applying a wall up the middle on the center, EDGE rushers like Julian Okwara maintaining wide routes to the quarterback to prevent scrambles to the sideline and a couple of linebackers threatening the "B-gaps," or the space between the left or right guard and the tackle.
By specifically having a nose tackle, two EDGE defenders set out wide and two linebackers aligned to threaten the B-gap, every offensive linemen will have a pass-rushing threat that needs to be accounted for. And that's the case, even though the linebackers could very well spy the quarterback or drop into coverage.
At the very least, the offensive guards must then take on the linebackers one-on-one because of the threat they pose to rush, which leads to one-on-ones for the EDGE rushers with the tackles.
For a solid pass-rusher like Okwara, the advantage will typically go to the EDGE defender in such a situation.
Just one way in which Undlin could be creative in drawing a pass rush in 2020.
Work according to his cornerbacks' strengths
A big component of last year's defense under Patricia was having Darius Slay cover the opposing team's top wideout no matter what side of the field they lined up on.
Although Slay has the capability of being a shutdown corner, it didn't always lead to the best performances from the veteran defensive back.
If how the cornerbacks have been aligned in training camp is any indication, it appears that philosophy is coming to an end under Undlin.
So far, Undlin, the former Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach, has had veteran Desmond Trufant line up on the left side and second-year corner Amani Oruwariye line up on the right side.
And both have looked solid overall wise in the reps they've received since training camp has opened up.
It's all about playing to his players' strengths. And the Lions are hoping it leads to much better results from the pass defense this upcoming campaign.
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