Hutchinson Finds Identity, Fuels Lions' Playoff Run

Aidan Hutchinson looking to continue excellent stretch.

Aidan Hutchinson is peaking at the right time for the Detroit Lions. 

After being held to just two sacks in a 10-game stretch in the regular season, Hutchinson has posted seven sacks in his last three outings. 

As the Michigan product has found his groove, it's allowed him to play his best ball of the season. Yet, he remains focused on continuing to grow as Detroit chases a Super Bowl appearance. 

"Statistically, I would say so," Hutchinson said. "Still learning a ton, I'm still making adjustments every single week. I think I've just figured out my own identity."

Next up for the Lions is a rematch with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whom they beat in Week 6. Hutchinson explained that his preparation is intensified ahead of the divisional round showdown, as a result of the stakes at hand. 

"Yeah, I try to keep my prep the same. Keep my preparations just like every week," Hutchinson explained. "Definitely in the playoffs, you feel like naturally you give a little bit more. You watch another game or two and it's been great. I've been looking forward to these playoffs since last year, and it's been my goal. We're here now, and it looks very promising for us." 

The Lions are set to get a key part of their defense back in James Houston, who was officially activated from injured reserve on Thursday. 

What Houston's snap count will be on Sunday remains to be seen, but his impact over the final seven games of last season shows that he can be a high-level player. 

Having another rusher opposite Hutchinson, who has been a frequent target of double teams throughout the season, could be difference-making for the Lions' pass rush. 

"That'd be great. It feels like we're really getting the pieces coming together right now, and it's very exciting," Hutchinson explained. "I can't wait for James to get back. I know he's still kind of getting his feet, so I don't know how much he's gonna play but it's gonna be good. It's gonna be good to get him back." 

The Lions' defense has given up its fair share of yards over its recent showings. However, Detroit has been able to control the red zone and hold opponents without touchdowns, a sign of true resolve. 

This mentality shift and emphasis on improving in the red zone date back to the Lions' showdown against Denver in Week 15. As a result, they've been able to produce in clutch situations and outscore opponents in critical junctures. 

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"No doubt, it was huge. When we entered that Denver game, we just really wanted to start playing good defense," Hutchinson said. "We started that game, and we've really just been building and building off of that. We got hot at the right time, and we're exactly where we want to be right now." 

As a result of their ability to hold teams out of the end zone, the defense feels a mounting confidence under coordinator Aaron Glenn. 

This was on full display against the Rams, where the defense kept its opponent out of the end zone on all three trips inside the red zone. In a game that was decided by a single point, this proved to be pivotal.

"We just kind of think about, it's all about us," Hutchinson said. "We're at this point in the season where we're so confident, you can put any opponent in front of us, and we're gonna give it our best shot. And, we really believe we can go up against any team and win on that given day." 

Impact of Ford Field crowd

With an announced attendance of over 66,000 fans, the Lions were fueled by a raucous crowd at Ford Field in their win over the Los Angeles Rams. 

The noise was a definite factor, as it forced the Rams to call two second-half timeouts that proved to be costly. 

However, the noise also impacted Detroit's defense early in the game. As Hutchinson pointed out, the deafening volume may have contributed to some of the Lions' early defensive struggles. 

"The crowd was unbelievable, and that really does help so much," Hutchinson explained. "But, it's also hard to hear as a defense. When we're making checks, making calls, no one can hear each other. I think that led to a couple of defensive miscommunications early in that game. In the end, though, it's great."

Revenge tour

The Buccaneers have deemed their playoff journey a revenge tour, as they have played each of their playoff opponents during the regular season. After suffering a 25-11 defeat to the Eagles in Week 3, they bounced back to defeat the Eagles in the Wild Card round.

Now, they have their sights set on avenging their 20-6 loss to the Lions in Week 6.

Hutchinson is familiar with the concept of a revenge tour, as he was part of the 2018 Michigan football team that had the same moniker for its season.

"No doubt. I don't know if revenge is a good thing. I was part of a revenge tour at Michigan," Hutchinson said. "Doesn't really matter what they think, it's all about us in this locker room and we all know that. We've proved that we've had the tools to beat them. We're all ready to go, we're all ready to prove it just for another week."