In Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Detroit Lions will be tasked with slowing down a talented mobile quarterback.
Defending Daniels is a challenging proposition, as the Lions‘ defense has not seen many quarterbacks who have the dual-threat talent that he does. Dan Campbell explained the difficulties that teams face when preparing for players of this caliber.
“Well, yeah, I mean, it’s kind of – when you’re trying to deal with (Ravens QB) Lamar (Jackson) and you’re trying to deal with a guy like this over there and (Bills QB) Josh Allen, there are a lot of teams that struggle against those guys, they’re not easy to stop and there’s a reason for that,” Campbell said. “So look, we know we’ve got our hands full, but we’re going to have a plan in place, (Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG’s going to have a hell of a plan, our guys are going to execute it, and you know what, he may make a run, he may pop a run or two. That’s just the nature of the game and the way that some of these guys are able to maneuver, but that doesn’t mean that you win the game.”
In order to neutralize Daniels, the Lions must remain disciplined. In run-pass option (RPO) situations, the defense cannot sell out against one particular aspect but rather trust its keys.
Here’s a look at how the Lions have fared against Kyler Murray, Anthony Richardson and Josh Allen this season in preparation for the challenges that Daniels could present.
Kyler Murray
Early on, Murray was able to break a pair of runs to put Arizona in position to score. On a first-down, the Cardinals dialed up a zone-read right at Lions‘ standout defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. This concept is designed to leave the targeted end unblocked, and the quarterback makes his decision based on what the defender does.
Here, Hutchinson gets too deep in the backfield pursuing the running back. As a result, Murray is able to get around the edge. The play-side linebacker, Jack Campbell, is also too deep pursuing the running back and as a result the Lions lose contain.
Fortunately for the Lions‘ defense, cornerback Carlton Davis is able to turn Murray back inside which allows Hutchinson and Kerby Joseph to get back in the play. Davis rips him down to keep the damage to a minimum.
Later on that drive, Murray’s legs come up big for Arizona once again. This time, Arizona is facing a first-and-20 after a penalty. Because the Lions play so much man coverage, they are vulnerable to these types of scrambles if the pass rush is unable to finish plays.
Detroit sends five at Murray and begins to break the pocket down. However, linebacker Derrick Barnes gets too far inside and Murray is able to escampe the pocket. Because Detroit’s secondary is downfield in coverage, a run lane is wide open up the left sideline.
Campbell is aligned as the defender closest to the sideline, and his assignment runs an in-breaking route that takes away the defense’s outside contain. The Lions’ defense is forced to play catch up and Murray is able to scramble for the first down.
The Lions’ defense was able to recover and make adjustments after that early drive. On this play, the crush the pocket strategy that Glenn emphasizes is on full display. The key to keeping a mobile quarterback in the pocket is to avoid leaks in the rush plan, and Detroit does a good job here.
Both of the rushers on the edge, Hutchinson and Barnes, do an excellent job of squeezing the pocket from outside in. This prevents Murray from escaping as he did in the previous clip. Levi Onwuzurike does stray a little bit to the right, which opens up a small alley for Murray to step up.
However, Onwuzurike makes an impressive play by wrangling Murray in with his outside hand. He gets off his block at the perfect time, disengaging to prevent the Cardinals’ passer and nearly getting a sack.
Anthony Richardson
Much like Murray, Richardson and the Colts were able to get going on the ground against the Lions early. However, the way in which Indianapolis was able to be successful was different. Rather than zone-read concepts and scrambles, the Colts utilized quarterback power.
On plays like this, the offensive line executes a pin-pull concept to create the run lane. The right side of the line is blocking down, or pinning, and the left guard and tackle are both pulling across the formation to take care of the unblocked defenders.
The goal of the play is to erase the defensive line with down blocks, then account for the defensive end and linebackers with the pulling blockers. Richardson and the Colts do just that here, with Matt Goncalves leading the way through the hole.
Brian Branch, the play-side safety, makes what could be a touchdown-saving tackle.
Here we have the Lions‘ defensive adjustment, which is nothing too extreme. On the previous play, defensive end Josh Paschal is standing too upright and is easy for the Colts to block. Za’Darius Smith makes a better play on the blocker and blows up the play in the clip below.
The Colts are once again targeting the right side of the line to execute this power concept. This time, though, Smith cuts the blocker and collapses the running lane for Richardson. Linebacker David Long is also in position to make a play, but Richardson can’t get to the second level.
The Lions did a good job of limiting Richardson’s ability to scramble in drop-back passing situations throughout the game, as most of his runs were designed. In the clip below, Richardson is nearly able to escape and make a big play.
Detroit is in man-to-man coverage, with Jack Campbell matched up against running back Jonathan Taylor. The call here appears to be an alert for Campbell, where Taylor pass protecting could signal blitz while a release means Campbell is responsible for coverage.
Campbell lingers around the line before vacating when Taylor releases. When Campbell vacates, the middle of the field is wide open for Richardson. However, Alim McNeill is able to get a hand out and punch the ball loose to prevent a big play.
Josh Allen
Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in the league for good reason. He has a skill set that no other quarterback has, as he can move extremely well in addition to having one of the biggest arms in the league.
What Allen did so well against the Lions in Week 15 involved a lot of scrambling and extending plays before launching the ball downfield. This play came early in the game, on Buffalo’s first possession. Detroit gets pressure early and springs Allen from the pocket, but at that point the play is just getting started.
As Lions defenders pursue the quarterback, he rolls toward the sideline. The Lions are in zone coverage, and James Cook breaks open in the middle of the field leading to a big gain.
Later in the first half, the Lions are riding a wave of momentum after getting within seven points, the Bills land another big shot. Though this Buffalo series would ultimately end with a missed chip-shot field goal, it’s another example of what Allen was able to do to Detroit’s defense.
The Lions get a free rusher on Allen as he executes a play-action bootleg, and the play appears to be in danger for Buffalo. However, a diving attempt by the defender comes up empty and suddenly Allen has plenty of time to load up and throw.
He does just that, taking his time before launching a deep ball to Keon Coleman. Allen does take a big hit, but Coleman is able to haul in the pass for a 64-yard gain. The Lions’ defense is vulnerable in this area, as the secondary is forced to cover for a longer amount of time due to Allen’s scrambles.
It wasn’t just scrambles that hurt the Lions, however. Allen did make some big plays with his legs, including on this variation of a concept that did give the Lions some trouble with Richardson behind center.
With the Lions down 10 and under seven minutes to play, the defense needs a stop in the worst way. Allen had previously hit Dawson Knox for a big gain, and now faces a first-and-10 in Lions’ territory.
Here, we see the pin-pull concept with a little twist — it’s an option play. It’s blocked like a trap play, but Allen has a keep read and a bubble screen read off of it. He elects to keep it and the hole is wide open, as he runs for 21 yards.
Detroit must do a better job against Daniels in these RPO situations, as the Commanders will try to put the Lions’ defense in tough situations. On this play, the linebackers are caught in the wash and the secondary is covering the screen, leaving the run lane wide open for Allen.
