The BUCS Defense Needs To Box Up The Lions’ Run Game
Todd Bowles and his Buccaneers defense will face one of the more balanced offenses in the League in the Week 2 matchup in Detroit. While they have a potent passing game, the threat on the ground is equally dangerous. The Lions' rushing attack almost matched their passing last week. Detroit ran for 163 yards to complement the 200 yards through the air.
The BUCS need to find a way to limit the Lions’ opportunities for big gains by slowing down the ground game first and foremost. But it won’t be easy as Detroit houses two solid RB options. David Montgomery was the lead rusher in yards while sharing the workload with Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery carried the ball 17 times to Gibbs' 11. This duo is one of the NFC's most dangerous pairings, as either one can break a game wide open.
Gibbs is the RB with quick feet and the balance of a prime Alvin Kamara. But it's not just speed with Gibbs. He has top-notch ball carrier vision that separates him from others. He's the more potent of the two when it comes to receiving passes out of the backfield. Montgomery is the hard-nosed workhorse who pounds the rock through the interior of the offensive line the best. He doesn't have the quick-twitch movement like Gibbs, but he has plenty of runner speed. He's a capable receiver as well. But don't expect to see him used as much as Gibbs.
The defensive line will have one of its biggest challenges of the year while trying to stop the running game of the Lions. Detroit has a talented offensive line in general, but the constant pulling of guards and tackles on the screen passes and counter runs make them a particularly interesting group.
big challenges equal big opportunities
The BUCS' answer to that puzzle starts in the middle of the defensive line with Vita Vea. His matchup against Frank Ragnow can be the biggest X-factor in the entire game. If the big fella can get off to a quick start and disrupt the Lions' movement, it could open up a can of worms for the RBs and Jared Goff. Like most teams, Detroit needed to double Vea on many of the snaps he played in the games last season. But they couldn't do it too much because Calijah Kancey was available. That won't be the case this time around.
With Kancey out, there isn't another player who will get attention off of Vea. At least not to begin the game. Both C.J. Brewer(DT) and Mike Greene (DT) are getting called up from the practice team to bolster Kancey's loss. They were also called up last week and contributed a combined 3 tackles against the Commanders. The two are more adept at being run-stoppers than pure pass-rushers. But they're balanced enough to be on the roster, and their abilities to stop the run will most definitely be leaned on.
This game can be a true showcase for the OLBs/DEs. They'll need to contain the short passes from Goff and be asked to stop the RBs from getting to the edge. With this being one of the premier matchups in Week 2 despite not being a nationally televised game, a solid performance by Tryon-Shoyinka, Diaby, and Braswell could earn them a large boost in notoriety and more respect in the fan base. But the job has to get done first. The Lions had the 5th-best rushing attack last season, and their Week 1 outing of 163 yards shows that they'll be aiming to be a top running team again.
Here's how their rushing tendencies looked from Week 1 against the Rams.
