2025
2025 season · Weeks 1 to 22 · 9-8
Lions defense
Every snap the Lions defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good-0.01 EPA a play allowed, 14th of 32, and 0.03 below what the offenses they faced usually manage (12th).
- How they playThey blitz on 32% of dropbacks, the 8th-most in the league, and get pressure on 23%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 4.4 a carry, 24th, and runs outside left gain 6.6 a carry.
- Who hurt themPuka Nacua (LA): 189 yards and +15.5 EPA on 13 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | -0.01 | 14th of 32 | 58th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.01 | 14th of 32 | 58th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.04 | 19th of 32 | 42nd | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 42% | 10th of 32 | 70th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 11% | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| Yards per play | 5.5 | 18th of 32 | 45th | |
| Yards per carry | 4.4 | 24th of 32 | 27th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 37% | 8th of 32 | 77th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 7.7% | 6th of 32 | 83rd | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 23% | 15th of 32 | 55th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 16% | 12th of 32 | 64th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 2.1% | 12th of 32 | 64th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 60% | 21st of 32 | 34th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.19 | 19th of 32 | 42nd | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.1 | 18th of 32 | 42nd | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | -0.03 | 12th of 32 | 64th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Lions. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 8 of 17 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 7 against the Buccaneers, 0.43 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.02 a play elsewhere, the 5th-toughest schedule of offenses.
at GBL 13-27+0.20usual +0.11
vs CHIW 52-21-0.17usual +0.09
at BALW 38-30+0.09usual +0.03
vs CLEW 34-10-0.36usual -0.18
at CINW 37-24-0.12usual 0.00
at KCL 17-30+0.27usual +0.02
vs TBW 24-9-0.41usual +0.02
vs MINL 24-27-0.02usual -0.12
at WASW 44-22+0.22usual 0.00
at PHIL 9-16-0.23usual +0.05
vs NYGW 34-27+0.12usual +0.00vs GBL 24-31+0.29usual +0.10
vs DALW 44-30-0.03usual +0.10
at LAL 34-41+0.20usual +0.14
vs PITL 24-29+0.21usual +0.01at MINL 10-23-0.28usual -0.11at CHIW 19-16-0.06usual +0.09Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is behind the line middle: +0.14 EPA a throw against a league -0.34. The lockdown zone is intermediate right, -0.24 a throw (league +0.26). Completions against them run 1.1 points under expected, 10th-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 4.4 yards a carry against them, 24th of 32. The leak is outside left: 6.6 a carry and +0.09 EPA (league 5.0, +0.01).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 19.126th | 155.524th | +0.2822nd-toughest | 24.43rd-most30.03rd-most35.75th-most |
| Tight ends | 7.722nd | 54.819th | +0.105th-toughest | 8.514th-most11.114th-most13.715th-most |
| Backs, receiving | 4.65th | 24.65th | -0.147th-toughest | 15.810th-fewest17.68th-fewest19.47th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 18.29th-most18.29th-most18.29th-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puka Nacua | LA | 13 | 189 | +15.5 | |
| Dontayvion Wicks | GB | 10 | 130 | 2 | +15.3 |
| Rome Odunze | CHI | 11 | 128 | 2 | +12.2 |
| Jordan Addison | MIN | 7 | 129 | 1 | +10.8 |
| Mark Andrews | BAL | 6 | 91 | 2 | +10.1 |
| Travis Kelce | KC | 7 | 78 | +8.7 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-short (1 to 3): offenses convert 45% against a league 60%. They are stingiest in games they trail by 9+ (-0.20 a play, league +0.04) and weakest in one-score games (+0.03, league +0.02).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 452 | -0.02 | +0.01 | -0.03 |
| 2nd down | 337 | -0.04 | +0.02 | -0.06 |
| 3rd down | 212 | -0.08 | -0.05 | -0.03 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 58 | 45% | 60% | −15 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 50 | 48% | 44% | +4 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 104 | 28% | 26% | +2 pts |
| Red zone | 164 | -0.05 | 0.00 | -0.05 |
| Two-minute drill | 99 | -0.01 | +0.03 | -0.05 |
| When they lead | 539 | -0.04 | -0.01 | -0.03 |
| One-score game | 671 | +0.03 | +0.02 | +0.01 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 64 | -0.20 | +0.04 | -0.24 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 32% of dropbacks and average 4.3 rushers; 73% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow -0.12 EPA when they blitz and +0.06 when they do not.
They put 7.0 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 17%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 5.1 a carry; into eight or more, 2.5.
Offenses throw more than usual against them: 2 points over their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.01 EPA against them on 25% of throws; screens -0.24.
51 defensive penalties for 360 yards, 38 of them first downs, the 23rd-fewest. They miss 8% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 5th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Aidan Hutchinson leads the pass rush with 50 pressures and 14.5 sacks on 91% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97Aidan HutchinsonDE | 91% | 50 | 14.5 | 35 | 14 | 53 | 4 |
| 98DJ ReaderDT | 54% | 8 | 4 | 28 | |||
| 54Alim McNeillDT | 45% | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 1 |
| 96Al-Quadin MuhammadLB | 41% | 25 | 11 | 20 | 9 | 25 | |
| 91Tyleik WilliamsDT | 41% | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 18 | |
| 51Roy LopezDT | 39% | 6 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 30 | |
| 92Marcus DavenportDE | 26% | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 13 | |
| 78Tyler LacyDE | 22% | 4 | 1 | 2 | 21 | ||
| 95Pat O'ConnorDE | 10% | 1 | 10 | ||||
| 53Trevor NowaskeLB | 7% | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 22 |
Jack Campbell plays 99% of the snaps with 174 tackles and 5 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46Jack CampbellLB | 99% | 174 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 60 | 91.0 | 7 |
| 34Alex AnzaloneMLB | 90% | 95 | 4 | 2.5 | 11 | 52 | 75.0 | 5 |
| 55Derrick BarnesLB | 86% | 78 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 27 | 108.2 | 5 |
| 44Malcolm RodriguezLB | 7% | 12 | 1 | 8 | 110.4 | 3 | ||
| 15Grant StuardLB | 1% | 18 | 1 | |||||
| 52Zach CunninghamILB | 1% | 7 | 1 | 1 | 118.7 | |||
| 45Monty RiceLB | 0% | 2 |
D.J. Reed is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 65.0 passer rating on 50 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21Amik RobertsonCB | 75% | 96 | 66 of 96 | 857 | 7 | 102.6 | 1 | 12 |
| 32Brian BranchCB | 67% | 35 | 19 of 35 | 254 | 1 | 79.0 | 9 | |
| 23Rock Ya-SinCB | 54% | 54 | 28 of 54 | 301 | 1 | 74.0 | 9 | |
| 4D.J. ReedCB | 53% | 50 | 27 of 50 | 380 | 65.0 | 2 | 7 | |
| 12Thomas HarperSAF | 42% | 18 | 11 of 18 | 194 | 2 | 85.6 | 1 | 5 |
| 31Kerby JosephSAF | 31% | 14 | 10 of 14 | 127 | 2 | 85.6 | 3 | 4 |
| 6Terrion ArnoldCB | 30% | 37 | 23 of 37 | 282 | 2 | 91.4 | 1 | 8 |
| 29Avonte MaddoxFS | 29% | 20 | 13 of 20 | 159 | 2 | 89.8 | 1 | 4 |
| 2Daniel ThomasSAF | 11% | 6 | 5 of 6 | 66 | 1 | 114.2 | 1 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.