Lions' Defense Must Improve on Third Down

Detroit Lions' defense struggled to execute on third down in 2022.

The Detroit Lions and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are hoping to significantly improve their ability to get off the field on third down. 

In 2022, the team was not able to get off the field at the frequency needed to get the offense, the strength of the team, the football back. 

According to True Media, Detroit's defense ranked 28th in scoring defense and 30th in getting off the field on third downs in 2022. 

Allowing opposing NFL offenses to convert on 45 percent of their third downs made it increasingly difficult for the team to win games early in the season. 

In a game early in the season that could become infamous as time passes, the Seattle Seahawks marched into Ford Field, and did not punt the football once. 

Improving the secondary and the development of the defensive line, which features several young players who are considered part of the core, should alleviate the concerns of several pundits who are still skeptical of the defense. 

Former NFL general manager Randy Mueller recently shared, via The Athletic, his concerns about each team in the NFC North heading into the 2023 season.   

As he opined, "Signing free-agent defensive backs Emmanuel Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson to one-year deals doesn’t solve the issues long-term but it does get things back to even par. The Lions have $22 million in cap space left for 2023 but three times that for 2024. I know Detroit used a first-round pick on a linebacker (Iowa’s Jack Campbell), but I still worry about it being able to stop anyone in the near future — run or pass. At least it will be fun watching them try to outscore people, especially in this division."