Entering the 2019 NFL regular season, the Detroit Lions figured to be the strength of the team. After a rocky start, the Lions’ defensive unit started to come together. They ended 2018 as top-ten defense, ranking 10th in yards allowed per game (335.0) and 16th in scoring defense (22.5).
With another year spent learning head coach Matt Patricia’s complicated defensive scheme, one that he brought with him from his championship years with the New England Patriots, the foundation of this growing defensive unit figured to be even stronger.
Then throw-in a high-priced free agency class that included defensive end Trey Flowers and cornerbacks Justin Coleman and Rashaan Melvin, plus a draft class that included Day Two selections in linebacker Jahlani Tavai and safety Will Harris; and the “D” in Detroit should have been elite.