Lions Still Top-10 Defense Despite Chargers Scoring Points
The Detroit Lions defense struggled to stop the Los Angeles Chargers, allowing five consecutive touchdown drives from the second quarter through the end of the game.
They still managed to emerge victorious, but the defensive performance amplified concerns surrounding where the Lions stand on that side of the ball.
However, the overall body of work by the unit to this point in the season has been solid. The Lions rank ninth in total defense per game and third in the league in run defense per game.
After their performance against Los Angeles, Aaron Glenn is ready for his team to bounce back against the Chicago Bears Sunday. Despite the struggles, he is confident that the unit will be productive and rebound.
"The players are always highly motivated, I will say that. And listen, we know who we are. Last year, we were the last ranked defense and we're a top-10 ranked defense this year. That's a really, really huge improvement," Glenn explained. "As far as knowing who we are, we know that. We know we have the capability to go out there and play really, really good ball. There's no secret to why we're ranked up there pretty high, that's in third down and that's in other categories too. We've just got to go out there and continue to play. That's just what it is."
Los Angeles racked up 421 yards of offense, seemingly piling on the defense. However, Glenn attributes that success to an opponent finding a niche, exploiting each of the Lions vulnerabilities.
These vulnerabilities are correctable, and the Lions plan to learn from the tape to ensure they don't emerge again.
"So many people get caught up in, this is what happened in this game against a really good quarterback, all hell breaks loose. No it didn't, we're still a pretty damn good defense, we've played some good defense this year," Glenn stated. "Get that out your head, everything that you're seeing, everything that you're reading, just understand what we've done, what we're doing and focus on that."
Glenn credited the performance of Herbert, who threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns. After a slow start, he got into a groove and made the Lions pay throughout the second half.
With that performance in the rearview mirror, the Lions are hoping to avoid allowing dynamic passers such as Herbert to get into a rhythm against their defense.
"We keep going. This is a good quarterback that got hot. The thing that we've got to do is make sure that we don't let that happen again and every week that's our mode. Me getting on them, I'm a demanding coach, that's never gonna change," Glenn explained. "The one thing I do know, I'm realistic of not just being a player but being a coach, I understand how these things happen. ... I wish we could go out there and be the '85 Bears and shut everybody down. But for some odd reason in people's head, they think that continues to go on, it doesn't. When I was with the Jets, I think it was 2000, we put 500 yards on the Ravens. You think those guys batted an eye? They didn't."
Based on the Lions overall defensive performance, Glenn is willing to chalk up Sunday's shootout as an anomaly. Offense is king currently in the NFL, which makes defenses vulnerable even when its least expected.
"This is the NFL, that's what that is and it happens. No one thought Cleveland would put 33 points on Baltimore, but it did. This is not peewee football, fellas, it's the NFL. Things happen and, man, you fight your ass off every week to make sure it doesn't. Our guys do a damn good job of that."
