Kelvin Sheppard defends rush defense amid criticism
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard pushed back against criticisms of his team’s rush defense following a challenging outing against the Los Angeles Rams. In their Week 15 matchup, the Lions surrendered 159 rushing yards, averaging a hefty 5.9 yards per carry. The Rams particularly exploited first-down opportunities, gaining an impressive 6.7 yards per carry, which provided head coach Sean McVay with a range of play-calling options on subsequent downs.
Sheppard’s perspective on statistics
In a season marked by scrutiny, Sheppard has frequently highlighted the nuances behind raw statistics, suggesting that a broader context is often overlooked. “When we say step back, is that total yardage we’re saying? Because, I believe when you looked at it, they rushed the ball 29 times for 155 yards, if I’m not mistaken,” he explained. “They popped one, I believe it was 19 yards, where we pressured and had a misfit on the interior of it. When they cut back, the center folded, which created a misfit extra gap and they hit us for 19 there.”
Sheppard further dissected the performance, recalling key moments that contributed to the Rams’ rushing success. “And then towards the end of the game, around a four-minute situation, the ball hit on the edge where Rock (Ya-Sin) has pinned the hip 100 times but took a bad angle,” he said. “That generated 24 yards. And then down in the red zone where my man (Blake) Corum scored, I believe that was probably 11 or 12 yards there.”
Challenging the narrative
Despite the statistics, Sheppard rejected the idea that opposing teams have been able to run the ball at will against the Lions this season. “Again, you can’t play this game of taking plays away, but nobody, and I can stand on the table behind this, nobody has just lined up and run the ball down our throats or made us like the run game,” he asserted. “They popped the explosive run here and there that’d generate that big number. But if you take that 24 and 19-yarder out alone, they’re standing at 4.0 a carry. Which around this league in the NFL, that’ll sit you right around the top-10, and right where you want to be.”
Lions’ rush defense ranking
This season, Detroit’s rush defense has been a point of pride, currently sitting at 13th in the league, yielding an average of 106.7 yards per game. Veteran defensive tackle D.J. Reader commented postgame that the Rams employed an adjusted blocking scheme that caught the Lions off guard, something he hadn’t noticed in their pregame preparations.
In light of these challenges, Sheppard remains optimistic about his unit’s overall performance. “Yeah, no. I thought outside of three, four plays in the game, I liked where we stood as far as fitting the run,” he concluded.
