Matt Patricia's Defense Is Floundering on All Levels

With the Lions' underachieving defense, you would never be able to tell that Detroit has a defensive-minded head coach

Another week and another horrid showing from the Detroit Lions defense. 

At this point, it's difficult to foresee any type of major turnaround, as the season is quickly going down the tubes. 

Unfortunately, it's not just one or two flaws that are easily fixable, either.

It's a collection of mental mistakes, questionable schemes and underperforming talent.

Head coach Matt Patricia was considered to be one of the better defensive minds before coming to Detroit. 

Needless to say, this season is not what was envisioned when Patricia was hired by Detroit general manager Bob Quinn.

Before the year started, many thought the defense would be the strength of the team, while the offense would have a slight learning curve with a new offensive coordinator in Darrell Bevell. 

Now, it appears it's just the opposite. 

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is averaging the most passing yards per game in the NFL, and is second in touchdown passes. 

Meanwhile, the defense is completely on the opposite end of the spectrum.

It's no secret that the Lions' defense has struggled. A trend is now the norm. 

You may want to cover your eyes for this, but here are the Lions' defensive ranks in relation to the rest of the NFL:

Yards allowed per game - 31st

Passing yards allowed per game - 30th

Rushing yards allowed per game - 27th

Points allowed per game - 27th

Yards allowed per play - 27th

First downs allowed per game - 32nd

Third-down percentage - 30th

Sacks - 27th

Interceptions - 26th

Fumble recoveries - 2nd

Usually, there are a few bright spots to build upon, but they are very difficult to find right now. 

The defense has forced plenty of fumbles. However, outside of that, there is no real strength to the defensive side of the ball. 

Without creating turnovers, the Lions are toothless.

As for the scheme, Detroit has become very predictable.

Matt Patricia & Co. average the fewest pass rushers per pass attempt, bring the fewest blitzes and only rush three players more frequently than just about anybody in the league. 

All of that above would possibly work better if the defensive front alone could pressure the quarterback.

According to Pro Football Focus, defensive end Trey Flowers has the highest pass-rushing productivity rating on the Lions' defensive front. 

Of all the interior defensive linemen and edge defenders, Flowers doesn't even rank in the top 50 of the NFL in the category. 

In short, opposing quarterbacks have had plenty of time to wait for a receiver to get open.

One major hole in the defense that is paramount in Patricia's scheme is stopping the run. 

For whatever reason, the gap control defense has had plenty of wide open gaps in 2019. 

There isn't just one player to blame for it, either. 

Almost everyone has struggled or regressed from a season ago. 

I do find it hard to believe that one of the best run defenses in the latter half of last year, all of a sudden, doesn't have the talent to at least be mediocre.

The linebackers haven't done the defensive line any favors, either. 

Rookie Jahlani Tavai and third-year pro Jarrad Davis are missing tackles at an alarming rate. 

In fact, Davis and fellow starting linebacker Christian Jones each have a bottom 10 PFF grade at the position.

In terms of pass defense, the Lions' linebackers have struggled to make any impact. It's become one of the biggest concerns on the team.

Speaking of coverage, the Lions run one of the heaviest man-to-man schemes in all of football. 

The philosophy has been semi-successful at times, but it is predicated on the defensive line eventually getting to the quarterback. If the line can't, the defensive backs are in for a long day.

I wish I could say there is an easy solution. 

However, the defense is filled with players that specialize in a specific area or two and that were brought in for this specific defense. 

If those players can't excel in the scheme catered to their strengths, it's on the front office and coaching staff to A.) find better players or B.) scheme better. 

At this point, a combination of the two is needed. 

More: Why the Lions' Last Play Call Was a Disaster