Allen Park – Regardless of scheme, the first goal of every NFL defense is to stop the run.
Even though the league has evolved into a pass-first business over the past decade, the ability for a defense to stymie the opposing ground game makes an opponent one-dimensional, routinely puts them in difficult third-and-long scenarios and helps dictate a game’s tempo.
In the Detroit Lions’ preseason opener, the defense did not accomplish that goal.
The Oakland Raiders ran with relative ease against the Lions, debuting a new scheme under coach Matt Patricia and defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni.