New Orleans Saints vs. Detroit Lions: Breaking Down Detroit's Game Plan

The New Orleans Saints make a rare visit to the Motor City to take on the Detroit Lions in a Week 7 contest rife with NFC playoff implications.

What: New Orleans Saints (2-3) at Detroit Lions (4-2)

When: Sunday, Oct. 19, 1 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox, Chris Myers and Ronde Barber with the call

The Saints haven't marched into Detroit since the infamous 2008 season, when they laid a 42-7 beating on the eventual 0-16 Lions. New Orleans has won the last four meetings, including a playoff game following the 2012 season.

This matchup features one of the league's best offenses squaring off against the current top dog, err, cat. 

Created by Jeff Risdon

The key for Detroit is to improve upon its meager offensive showing so far against a defense that has been repeatedly gashed by offenses like Dallas and Cleveland.

The Dallas game in Week 4—a 38-17 Cowboys domination—offers a couple of different concepts the Lions can easily incorporate to find success against the visiting Saints.

There is a bit of a circular relationship at play here. Dallas' offensive coordinator is Scott Linehan, who held that same gig in Detroit for the prior five seasons. New Orleans' defensive coordinator is Rob Ryan, now in his second season with the Saints after being fired by the Cowboys. And Detroit's offensive coordinator is Joe Lombardi, who spent the past five seasons as the Saints' quarterbacks coach.

Lombardi would be wise to draw upon Linehan's playbook in attacking Ryan's defense. Lions fans remember, perhaps not very fondly, the barrage of screen passes Linehan deployed in his Detroit tenure. They are ideal in attacking the Saints. 

Here's an example, one with a creative wrinkle that really sets up the play nicely against the hyperaggressive New Orleans defense.

NFL Game Rewind

After motioning across the formation, the tight end immediately doubles back at the snap. The slot receiver trails him, setting up the defense with the look of an end-around. Meanwhile, running back Lance Dunbar darts forward to sell a strong play-action fake from quarterback Tony Romo.

NFL Game Rewind

All three second-level defenders flow with the fakes, clearing out the right side of the field. Dunbar pauses for a count in the middle of the action, not giving those flowing defenders any idea they are like the dogs in Up, chasing a squirrel instead of Russell and Mr. Fredericksen. 

NFL Game Rewind

Dunbar bleeds out and has two blockers in great position to wall off a massive amount of yardage as he catches the screen from the rolling Romo. 

This play is similar to the one the Lions ran on the first drive last week against Minnesota, a delayed screen to Theo Riddick. In fact, it looks almost exactly the same:

NFL Game Rewind

Detroit's version didn't have the extra deceptive optic involved, but that can easily be incorporated with Jeremy Ross, who has run end-arounds and jet sweeps in his year with the Lions. With Reggie Bush, Joique Bell and Riddick all proven capable receivers and weapons after the catch, these plays will work against New Orleans.

As an added benefit, the screens and misdirection plays should ease the pressure on Matthew Stafford. That has been a serious issue:

"

Matthew Stafford has been sacked 21 times this year. Was sacked 23 times all last year.

— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) October 12, 2014"

Last year, the Lions ranked second in sack percentage, the number of dropbacks divided by the number of sacks. This year, they rank 30th. 

Ryan's defenses are notorious for their aggression. Even more than his brother Rex, the current New York Jets head coach, Rob Ryan loves to bring exotic blitzes. No matter the down or distance or field position, Ryan wants to attack with pressure and speed.

I've used this analogy going back to his time in Cleveland in 2009 and 2010: Ryan coaches defense like the guy at the ice cream parlor who orders three scoops of different flavors with sprinkles and hot fudge and nuts and whipped cream and a cherry on top. There is no such thing as overkill, even though many times plain vanilla is the best and most prudent choice.

The problem for the Saints this year is that the blitzes aren't translating into sacks. New Orleans ranks 29th in sack percentage, a category in which the Lions lead the league. When the Saints' blitz doesn't get home, the offense has major opportunities to pick apart the underwhelming secondary. 

They have enough trouble even when seven drop into coverage. In this play by the Buccaneers in Week 5, New Orleans opts for extra help on the back end.

There's a theme here in the basic play schematic, which should look familiar to the above plays—options moving in opposite directions. Here, it's the running back clearing on a short circle route, with two receivers from the left of the formation running crossing routes at different levels behind him. 

NFL Game Rewind

With the outside receivers both running vertical routes, the middle of the field is cleared. It's three-on-three, and the offense has the distinct advantage of knowing where it's going.

NFL Game Rewind

With the five-man offensive line giving quarterback Mike Glennon enough time to survey his options against the four-man rush, Glennon gets a clean look at where to best exploit the coverage. 

In this case, the circled defender chases after the running back moving to the middle of the field. The receiver on the shallower cross is then free as he passes him in the other direction. It's an easy pitch-and-catch for the offense. 

Even without Calvin Johnson, and perhaps Bush once again, these are ways the Lions can pounce on the Saints' struggling defense. It's a great chance for the offensive line to get some confidence, too. 

One other factor to keep in mind is that the Lions have already faced a Ryan defense this year, Rex's Jets. That 24-17 win represents Stafford's best game of the year. While the twins aren't identical in their defenses, they come from the same scheme and mindset. 

Defensively, the game plan is easy: Keep on keeping on. Don't mess with what's working so well through the first six games.

"

There have been 13 games this year where a team has gained fewer than 225 yards; 3 of them came against the Lions.

— Football Perspective (@fbgchase) October 14, 2014"

Detroit ranks at or near the top in a multitude of defensive metrics:

	Rank
Points per game	1st
Yards per carry	4th
Yards per pass attempt	t-1st
Opp. QB rating	3rd
1st downs per game	1st
3rd down conversion	2nd

One of the big keys is starting strong. The Lions have given up the fewest first-half points (26) of any team in the league. The consistency is remarkable. For that reason, there's not really anything the Detroit defense needs to do other than be itself.

Hopefully, a week of being back in the league suits kicker Matt Prater well. After his 1-of-3 debut on field goals last week, his confidence could be shaky. Getting an easy one under his belt in his Detroit debut, say a 33-yarder from the right hash, would be wonderful going forward. 

All rankings are courtesy of Team Rankings