Ann Arbor to Allen Park: Lions, Wolverines Share Defensive Concerns

Football fever is in full swing around the great state of Michigan and although there are plenty of positives surrounding both the Lions and Wolverines, they share a glaring weakness in their defensive back seven.

Before we dive into the defense, let’s get some perspective on these two clubs.

First up: Michigan.

The two teams come from different backgrounds. No one has won more college football games than the Wolverines. They are the standard. The block M represents class, it represents winning and it holds a tradition that extends beyond Ann Arbor and the Big Ten.

At least it used to represent all of those things.

Over the last two seasons, it has been anything but for Big Blue. A head coaching change, two losing seasons and major NCAA violations have knocked Michigan down to earth. Rich Rodriguez is fighting for his job and the Wolverines have to post a strong season to work their way back toward the top.

Despite a tough schedule, many football optimists believe Big Blue can take the next step back to championship form and it’s due to the offense. RichRod has loads of talent on offense, but the youth and lack of success places question marks on all of the quote unquote potential.

If Michigan goes 8-5 last year, we see statements like “Tate Forcier could be a legitimate Heisman candidate as an upperclassman.”

Instead, we see “Could Denard Robinson be the next Pat White?” Did you notice the question mark? (Or the fact that Forcier is rumored to be on the outside looking in at what was his starting job?)

Regardless of the question marks, the talent on offense is encouraging and as the players mature, the offense should be one of the best in the Big Ten.

The defensive line is stacked with talent including juniors Mike Martin and Ryan Van Bergen and sophomore Will Campbell. Outside of the line, the defense looks a little shaky.

If Michigan is the standard for success, the Lions are the standard for failure. They represent losing and ineptitude. The Lions are notorious for finding new ways to lose. The Lions got so sick of losing on the field; they decided to lose in the draft room for a few years just to change the pace. (Matt Millen’s face covers dartboards in sports bars from Ypsilanti to Traverse City. Still. He will never be forgotten. Or forgiven.)

Lions slappies are having a feeding frenzy over Matt Stafford and the improvement on the offense. Give their performance in their first preseason game, the Lions have shown that their offense, even with Jeff Backus, could be a top ten offense in the NFL. Calvin Johnson and receivers may finally get ideal coverage if rookie speedster Jahvid Best and the running backs can make an impact.

The Lions D-Line stood out even more in their exhibition against the Steelers. Second overall pick Ndamukong Suh is already pulling double teams freeing defensive ends Kyle VandenBosch* and Cliff Avril to attack the backfield. Finally, the Lions appear to be able to get quality pressure on the quarterback without blitzing. Martin Mayhew’s move to bring Corey Williams back to a 4-3 package appears to be paying strong dividends.

*NOTE: With a helmet, VandenBosch’s melon looks like a small planet.

Outside of the line however, the defense has a lot of questions, and this is where the comparisons come together.

Linebacker depth is a question for both teams. The Lions have a quality vet in Julian Peterson who will be leaned on to solidify the LB unit. DeAndre Levy needs to have a strong second season and Zack Follett has to prove he belongs; otherwise this unit goes from decent to a liability. The fact that Follett, a second-year player with no LB starting experience,  was designated a starter before camp illustrates the Lions' lack of LB depth.

The Wolverines have super stud Craig Roh as an OLB who is expected to take huge steps forward and become a defensive superstar. Seniors Jonas Mouton and Obi Ezeh underperformed last season and will need to step up in order for this defense to be effective. After Roh, Mouton and Ezeh, who do they have at LB? Name one. (Okay, Kevin Leach. Name another one... I’ve got nothing.)

The Lions have brought in a grab bag of vets and second stringers to try and patch together a secondary. They have a quality pro in safety Louis Delmas, but I don’t believe the Lions are looking at Dre Bly or Jonathan Wade as long-term solutions for their secondary. One potential long-term solution, third round pick Amari Spievey, has made little noise in training camp due to injury and will not be a starter at the beginning of the year.

*EDIT: (8/18/2010)

*Speaking of patchwork, Michigan’s secondary is the big question mark on defense. Given the loss of five-star recruit Justin Turner (who was anything but a star during his time in Ann Arbor) and the injury to outspoken senior leader Troy Woolfolk the exile list of woulda-shoulda-couldas now looks something like this.

- Troy Woolfolk
- Justin Turner
- Demar Dorsey
- Adrian Witty
- Boubacar Cissoko
- Donovan Warren

So that leaves the Wolverines with freshmen and the leftovers. Yikes. Not all hope is lost, but it doesn't look good for the Michigan secondary. Redshirt freshman Cameron Gordon has drawn solid reviews thus far through practice, but they will still have to rely on Jordan Kovacs and freshmen Marvin Robinson and Cullen Christian to add depth at safety. J.T. Floyd will need to continue to improve opposite Woolfolk for this unit to have success.  J.T. Floyd will have to become Superman in order for this unit not to be a disaster.

Although the offenses will provide plenty of excitement for the Lions and Wolverines, both teams need another off-season to make the necessary improvements to make their squads well-rounded contenders.