These Detroit Lions aren’t the old Lions anymore, correct? The ones who would lose games in ways people haven’t seen before and a laughing stock around the NFL. The Lions have come a long way from being the loveable losers to being a Super Bowl contender, but one thing has been standing in their way for over a decade, and that’s the Seattle Seahawks.
For some reason, the Seahawks have had the Lions’ number in the past six matchups. Oddly enough, this one feels like the chance for Detroit to right the wrongs of 12 years of defeat and walk away with a victory in primetime on “Monday Night Football.” It all comes down to the Lions defensive line and how it matches up with the Seahawks offensive line.
First, the Seahawks offensive line hasn’t been great to start the year. Despite being undefeated, the Seahawks have one of the worst offensive lines in football, with a 53.2 pass-blocking grade from PFF, the fourth worst in the NFL. On top of that, they’re dealing with injuries as well. Starting right tackle Abraham Lucas began the year on PUP, and his replacement, George Fant, got injured in Week 1 and was just put on IR last Saturday. When Fant went down, it forced third-stringer Stone Forsythe to take over the role.
The offensive line PFF grades for the Seahawks are as follows:
LT - Charles Cross: 77.4
LG - Laken Tomlinson: 45.1
C - Connor Williams: 55.5
RG - Anthony Bradford: 39.6
RT - Stone Forsythe: 64
Not great, Bob.
While Cross is the only proven player on the offensive line that can hold their own, the rest is a jumbled mess. Seattle has allowed 41 pressures, 25 hurries, nine QB hits, and seven sacks. Luckily for Seattle, their opponents haven’t been as good as Detroit, so now the Lions will test how well this offensive line can be for the Seahawks.
This week could be another time when defensive end Aidan Hutchinson can take over a game. While I don’t expect another 4.5-sack performance, I could see Hutchinson getting at least two on Monday night. His ability to cause havoc and force offenses to change their scheme to accommodate him is rare in the NFL. The Los Angeles Rams did it right with their quick passing offense, and the Arizona Cardinals did it with their tight ends and running backs helping with chip blocks, so there are ways to slow him down.
For the interior, the Seahawks signed guard Laken Tomlinson and center Connor Williams to help boost their line with Evan Brown and Damien Lewis leaving, and they have done the opposite so far. Tomlinson and Williams are off to their worst season, and going up against this Lions defensive line won’t be easy. With Reader occupying one of the two defensive tackle spots, that alone is a tough task for the guards and center to handle.
Depth tested
The Lions aren’t coming into this game unscathed, either. Against the Cardinals, the Lions lost defensive tackle Alim McNeill to a shoulder injury. Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he would be day-to-day, so his status for Week 4 is unknown. On Tuesday, the Lions put defensive end Marcus Davenport on IR as his season is over with a tricep tear. At the very least, the Lions are down one starting defensive lineman—plus linebacker Derrick Barnes, who was commonly playing on the edge.
This week is a good depth test, as some practice squad members may get called up if needed. Detroit is already down some depth pieces in defensive end John Cominsky and defensive tackle Brodric Martin, so others will need to fill the void. Defensive end Josh Paschal could start this week, and it’s possible linebacker James Houston gets more pass-rushing opportunities against this poor Seahawks offensive line.
On the interior line, Mekhi Wingo, Levi Onwuzurike, and Kyle Peko will have to step up if McNeill is out. Wingo has had an impressive career start, and he could see the most playing time out of the three. Peko could fill in for Reader at times, give him a few plays off, and be a contributor.
Overall, Hutchinson needs help with this. With one or two starters out, the depth will need to contribute significantly. Even with Hutchinson facing a third-string tackle, he could see more double teams and chip blocks from tight ends or running backs. If the Seahawks can focus on shutting down the side Reader and Hutchinson are on, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith could escape to the side with less pressure and keep plays alive or run for yardage.
Speaking of Smith, the Lions must finish when given the chance to sack him. Last year, Smith was only sacked once against Detroit, and it took the Lions defense multiple tries to finally get him down. When the opportunity strikes, Detroit can’t waste them.
With Hutchinson likely having more chances to get to Smith as he takes on Forsythe, he can’t miss on those chances. If someone else can break through and get to Smith, he must go down on the first attempt because he can escape and either throw the ball away or keep the play going with a run or a pass. Detroit’s defensive line can lose them this game if Smith stays upright. If they are able to disrupt Smith while in the pocket, either rushing his decision making or taking him down, the Lions can win this game and head into the bye week 3-1.
