Detroit Lions Defensive Playbook: Stopping the Bears

This picture, from 2008, just about sums up the Lions' season on defense.

It wasn't pretty.

Often the Lions were simply in the wrong spots. When they did sniff out a play, the lowly Lions were usually powerless to stop it. Receivers jumped over them. Running backs ran through them. Quarterbacks passed around them.

It wasn't even close to pretty.

This year, things look a little better for the "Kittens." Louis Delmas, a rookie starter, was just named defensive rookie of the month for September. DeAndre Levy, forced into a spot start last week, was phenomenal in a goal line stand against Clinton Portis. Larry Foote, transplanted from Pittsburgh, is rejuvenated in his hometown.

Things are looking up.

This year, the Lions looked dreadful in Week One against Drew Brees and the Saints. Things looked like business as usual at Allen Park and fans were hunkering down for a long haul of a season.

Then, in Week Two, the Detroit Lions showed some cojones—holding Adrian Peterson to under 100 yards and Brett Favre to under 160. For comparison, the San Francisco 49ers (a top-15 defense) also held Peterson under 100, but allowed Favre to go off for more than 300 yards.

In Week Three, the Lions were barely run against as the Washington Redskins came out throwing. The defense seemed powerless to stop the pass, but held the Redskins out of the end zone for an entire half and held on late for a win.

The defense isn't great. But it is safe to say that it is better than before.

This week, the Lions match up against the Chicago Bears. The Bears' offense is a enigma wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in mystery. At times, it has looked unstoppable. At other times, it has been unable to get going.

Jay Cutler, in particular, has been up and down. After looking awful against the Green Bay Packers in the season opener, he's stepped up and been a top QB against stingy Pittsburgh and Seattle defenses.

Matt Forte has not had the early turnaround. Looking awful against Green Bay, he's looked just as bad the following weeks. It hasn't been for lack of carried. Forte currently ranks seventh in the league with 59 carries—tied with Adrian Peterson. However, Forte has only averaged 2.5 yards per carry.

Certainly the Bears will want to establish the ground game this week. How do the Lions stop it?

For the Offensive Breakdown Click Here

Come out Early

In 2008, the Lions had issues with defense early in the game. Although this year has not been as horrendous, it is tremendously important to get up early on the Chicago Bears.

Ron Turner has a pure-bred offensive pedigree which stems from an interest in the Air Coryell. Don Coryell was the coach of the San Diego Chargers and had his greatest success while Dan Fouts and Charlie Joiner were hooking up for countless touchdowns.

That era—the late '70s and early 80's—is the same era in which Ron Turner, now 55, finished his college playing career and started his coaching career in Southern California.

Ron and his brother Norv are two of the many coaches still running types of the Coryell offense.

Ron also tutored under Dave Wannstadt (Chicago) and Ted Tollner (USC). Both of those coaches stress ball control—Wannstadt with the running back and Tollner with high percentage passes.

Because of this, Ron Turner is less likely than other Coryell offensive coaches (Norv Turner, Mike Martz, Al Saunders) to take chances early when the game is close. Historically, Turner's modis operandi has always been to build a lead somewhat slowly and then hold onto it.

The Lions have to understand that it will be near impossible to come back from a significant deficit to this offense.

However, the opposite is just as true. This offense is simply not built to be a late bloomer. Once a lead is established, the Bears will have to abandon the power run game and look to the air. Since it is a more predictable vertical passing attack, it is much easier to defend.

Pressure Jay Cutler from the Inside

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Jay Cutler is at his most dangerous when stepping up in the pocket. He has one of the NFL's strongest arms and some of the least sensibility.

In Denver and Chicago, he has had offenses that feature receivers who try to break loose deep. Even with the pocket collapsing, Cutler can buy an extra second and sling the ball 40 yards.

On the run, Cutler is another story entirely.

Don't misunderstand me, Cutler is an athlete. When rolling out, he can elude slower defenders and still manage to get his hips around to get air under a strike downfield.

The issue with Cutler on the run is not athletic or mechanic, it is mental.

On the run, Cutler loses half of the field and, usually, half of his decisions. At this point, his fight-or-flight mechanism kicks into hyper drive and Cutler often makes hasty decisions even when he would have just as much time as before.

Teams who have found success against Cutler, have found it by immediately collapsing the pocket using stunts and blitzes up the middle. In an extra gamble, it is also advantageous to roll the coverage over to the side one expects Cutler to go—often to the right.

As with any defensive scheme, this has its negatives.

Any backside screen to Matt Forte would have the potential to be a big gainer. A mistimed blitz would leave the middle of the field susceptible to a big day from the Bears slot receivers. Blitzing up the middle means the outside of your defense needs to be at its best.

Force Matt Forte Inside Against Seven in the Box

Normally, against a top running back, it is smart to expect to drop a safety into the box and make him run against eight or even nine defenders.

Against Chicago, not so smart.

In fact, Pittsburgh's inability to stop Jay Cutler was a direct result of the injury to Troy Polamalu. Polamalu is one of the few safeties in the league who can play somewhat deep and react quick enough to still be a factor in the run game. Conversely, he also has enough quickness to get back deep on a missed gamble. Tyrone Carter? Not so much.

Louis Delmas has already made a name for himself in the run game. Delmas still lacks the ability to cover the deep half from inside the box but he can certainly stop a ball carrier in his tracks—even after initially backpeddling.

Ko Simpson is a similar player.

The strength of this defense is the kryptonite of Chicago's offensive gameplan.

By playing both safeties deep, Detroit forces Cutler to make quicker decisions in the face of the rush. It also entices Chicago to run the ball more.

Although Matt Forte should be able to rack up yardage against most seven-man fronts, Detroit has substantial bulk and tackling ability thanks to a revamped linebacker corps.

How do the Lions accomplish this? It's already in their gameplan.

The defensive line plays wider than than most teams to force everything inside. On running downs they could spread even wider as the splits on the Bears' front tighten. Forte will have no choice but to pick a lane inside where he will meet Foote, Peterson or Sims at the line of scrimmage and (hopefully) Delmas or Simpson a few yards later.

Wait! Above it was said that Cutler should be forced outside and now Forte should be forced inside? How are both possible?

The line-play is exactly the same as the first defensive strategy I highlighted. With the line playing wider, it will give the Cutler false confidence that he will have a pocket to step up in and Forte false confidence of wider running lanes. Stunting or blitzing those gaps results in big defensive plays.

Benchmarks

The defense must hold Jay Cutler to under 65 percent passing. It seems like a simply task but the Lions are allowing 75 percent from opposing quarterbacks this season and Cutler has gone over 70 percent in his past two games.

The defense must hold Matt Forte to less than four yards per rush. This season, Forte is averaging 2.5 yards per carry. Certainly, the Lions are an opponent he would like to get going against. Second down and seven is usually a passing situation. Second down and six almost never is.

The defense must hold Devin Hester and Johnny Knox under four catches a piece. These two receivers are Chicago's best chance for YAC and the two guys most likely to be running the middle yardage routes. If a catch after seven yards turns into a 10-yard gain, it will be a long game. Both are better runners than receivers, shut them down before the catch by playing closer and frustrating them.

Conclusion

As long as the Lions execute this plan, it is a sound defensive philosophy. If there is a missed assignment, and there will be, the field is open wide to be gashed by both the running and passing attack.

The Lions have used elements of this same plan already this season. Jay Cutler is a younger and more talented version of 2009's Brett Favre. They have the same strengths and similar weaknesses. If a team allows them to find a rhythm and exist in protection, both quarterbacks will eat you alive.

Under duress, both will make the occasional spectacular play but will also make mistakes. However, like Favre, sacking Cutler is not enough. Off the field, Cutler has a reputation as a prima donna. On the field, Cutler can take his licks with the best of them. In fact, Cutler likes being hit a few times early in the game, it fires him up.

Dan Fouts made his career in this offense taking his hits and picking apart defenses that knew how to stop him and failed to execute. Jay Cutler is a similar strong-armed and strong-willed quarterback.

It is a guarantee that Gunther Cunningham has drawn up a play at least somewhat similar to this one. He knows that the Lions' strengths play to the Bears' offensive weaknesses.

However, it is equally true that Chicago's talent level is much higher at this stage of the game than Detroit's. If the Lions win this game, it will be on defense. If Cutler is forced to make mistakes and the front seven can contain Matt Forte, it will be a long game for Lovie Smith who wants an early lead to protect.

If Chicago gets an early lead, they will almost certainly run away with it. If Detroit can keep the game close, this is a very winnable matchup.

Oh, and one last thing:

Don't Kick To Hester!

Michael Schottey is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and the producer and host of The Average Joe Sports Show on 860AM KNUJ (New Ulm, MN). He is also an NFL Analyst and Senior Writer for DraftTek.com.