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Detroit Lions Secondary Concerns Emerge After Week 1 Win

The Detroit Lions entered their Week 1 opener against the New Orleans Saints as seven-point home favorites on Sunday, looking to rebound from a disappointing 9-8 season in which they missed the playoffs a year ago. A big question mark this offseason was the Detroit Lions secondary, which looked more concerning now than ever.

Detroit Lions Week 1 Recap

It was a tale of two halves as the Lions held the Saints to just 111 yards of offense and zero points in the first half while taking a 7-0 lead. However, they were extremely fortunate to still be ahead after the referees overturned a scoop-and-score touchdown by New Orleans. The play sparked plenty of confusion, as the officials determined that the quarterback’s “intent” to throw the ball forward affected the ruling, despite the ball clearly traveling backward. The referees reviewed the play and ultimately wiped the Saints’ defensive touchdown off the board in a bizarre sequence of events that really made no sense to me as someone who has watched football their whole life.

Finally, the Lions’ offense began to fire on all cylinders in the second half as they quickly extended their lead to 21-0, with stars Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown both finding the end zone. Up to that point, the defense had done a solid job of keeping the Saints in check, led by Aidan Hutchinson and some strong play from the interior defensive line.

However, the Saints’ offense eventually found its rhythm as they began diagnosing Detroit’s blitzes and attacking their secondary. Before long, the game had turned into a 24-24 thriller, with Saints quarterback Tyler Shough carving up the Detroit Lions secondary and connecting with Juwan Johnson on a 9-yard touchdown pass.

In overtime, the Saints won the coin toss and deferred, giving the Lions the ball first. Jared Goff led Detroit down the field, and the Lions scored to take a 7-point lead. New Orleans responded with a touchdown of its own, but the Saints elected to go for two and failed to convert as Detroit ultimately survived a nail-biter, 31-30.

How Can the Detroit Lions Secondary Improve?

The Detroit Lions’ secondary will need to improve if the team hopes to be considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender. While the Saints are no slouch and no win in the NFL is easy, Detroit’s defensive struggles in the second half exposed some serious concerns in the secondary, many of which I already had going into the season, as they did little to address the secondary in the draft and through free agency.

The Lions desperately need their star safeties, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, to return from injuries. Both players were placed on the PUP list as they are still rehabbing from injuries from last season. They will miss at least the next three games. Their absence could prove especially costly against a Buffalo Bills offense led by 2024 MVP Josh Allen, as New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough finished the day with a career-high 410 passing yards and three touchdowns. Chris Olave also had a career-high in receiving yards with 182. It’s scary to think what Josh Allen and the Bills could do to this team if they play as they did in that second half against the Saints.

The Bills are currently coming off a 36-31 road win over a very good Houston Texans team, whose defense allowed 17.4 points per game last season, which was good enough to be best in the NFL. Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes should strongly consider looking for cornerback help before the trade deadline if the secondary does not improve drastically, as I would be surprised if they don’t struggle against the elite playmaking Quarterbacks they will be up against during this season.

End Of Detroit Lions Secondary Rant

In the meantime, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will need to find more creative ways to pressure Josh Allen while limiting the opportunities for Buffalo’s receivers to exploit the secondary. If the Lions cannot fix those defensive issues quickly, Thursday night’s matchup could expose the same problems that nearly cost them their Week 1 opener. The team may need to rely once again on its offense and GRIT, which they have shown that they have plenty of under Dan Campbell. Either way, we should be in for a fun duel in Orchard Park as the Buffalo Bills open up their new stadium.

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

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