2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 5-2
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+0.11 EPA a play allowed, 30th of 32, and 0.11 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (30th).
- How they playThey blitz on 26% of dropbacks, the 22nd-most in the league, and get pressure on 24%.
- Where offenses find roomThrough the air: +0.20 EPA a dropback, 29th, softest intermediate middle (+1.61 a throw).
- Who hurt themTetairoa McMillan (CAR): 192 yards and +16.7 EPA on 16 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 9 against the Dolphins, whose offense ranks 23rd in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.11 | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.20 | 29th of 32 | 11th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.09 | 13th of 32 | 61st | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 45% | 25th of 32 | 25th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 11% | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| Yards per play | 5.6 | 21st of 32 | 36th | |
| Yards per carry | 3.9 | 16th of 32 | 52nd | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 46% | 27th of 32 | 17th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 7.5% | 7th of 32 | 80th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 24% | 8th of 32 | 77th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 17% | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.6% | 18th of 32 | 44th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 74% | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.44 | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.0 | 23rd of 32 | 27th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.11 | 30th of 32 | 8th |
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 1 of 7 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 8 against the Vikings, 0.02 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average 0.00 a play elsewhere, the 19th-toughest schedule of offenses.
vs NOW 31-30-0.02usual -0.04
at BUFL 31-41+0.43usual +0.13
vs NYJW 31-24+0.10usual +0.03
at CARL 26-32+0.29usual -0.01
at ARIW 45-21+0.02usual -0.03
vs GBW 20-17+0.04usual 0.00
vs MINW 19-15-0.12usual -0.10Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is intermediate middle: +1.61 EPA a throw against a league +0.59. The lockdown zone is intermediate left, -0.52 a throw (league +0.31). Completions against them run 3.6 points over expected, 26th-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 3.9 yards a carry against them, 16th of 32. The leak is at left guard: 6.0 a carry and +0.13 EPA (league 3.9, -0.08).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 21.931st | 176.627th | +0.4124th-toughest | 23.48th-most30.55th-most37.63rd-most |
| Tight ends | 11.432nd | 97.732nd | +0.5731st-toughest | 19.21st-most23.61st-most27.91st-most |
| Backs, receiving | 5.316th | 23.48th | +0.0417th-toughest | 14.24th-fewest16.24th-fewest18.24th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 24.71st-most24.71st-most24.81st-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tetairoa McMillan | CAR | 16 | 192 | 2 | +16.7 |
| Chris Olave | NO | 13 | 182 | +13.7 | |
| Trey McBride | ARI | 10 | 66 | 1 | +7.4 |
| Garrett Wilson | NYJ | 13 | 107 | 1 | +7.3 |
| Dalton Kincaid | BUF | 8 | 95 | 1 | +7.2 |
| Tucker Kraft | GB | 6 | 48 | 1 | +6.7 |
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.
Third downs go the offense's way: even third-and-4-to-6 converts at 45% (league 44%). They are stingiest in 2nd down (+0.03 a play, league +0.01) and weakest in games they trail by 9+ (+0.27, league +0.03).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 208 | +0.08 | +0.01 | +0.06 |
| 2nd down | 150 | +0.03 | +0.01 | +0.02 |
| 3rd down | 95 | +0.05 | -0.04 | +0.09 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 30 | 67% | 61% | +6 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 22 | 45% | 44% | +1 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 43 | 33% | 27% | +6 pts |
| Red zone | 71 | +0.09 | +0.03 | +0.06 |
| Two-minute drill | 55 | +0.07 | +0.00 | +0.07 |
| When they lead | 264 | +0.10 | +0.01 | +0.09 |
| One-score game | 324 | +0.08 | -0.01 | +0.08 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 63 | +0.27 | +0.03 | +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 26% of dropbacks and average 4.3 rushers; 74% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.07 EPA when they blitz and +0.25 when they do not.
They put 6.8 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 10%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.3 a carry; into eight or more, 1.0.
Offenses throw more than usual against them: 5 points over their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.16 EPA against them on 26% of throws; screens +0.13.
15 defensive penalties for 152 yards, 13 of them first downs, the 2nd-fewest. They miss 3% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 1st-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Aidan Hutchinson leads the pass rush with 22 pressures and 5 sacks on 90% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97Aidan HutchinsonDE | 90% | 22 | 5 | 17 | 5 | 20 | 1 |
| 54Alim McNeillDT | 80% | 11 | 4.5 | 9 | 5 | 14 | |
| 98DJ WonnumDE | 54% | 9 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 14 | |
| 91Tyleik WilliamsDT | 52% | 4 | 2 | 16 | |||
| 50Skyler Gill-HowardDT | 46% | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 11 | |
| 93Tyler LacyDE | 35% | 3 | 4 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 8Derrick MooreDE | 24% | 3 | 3 | 5 | |||
| 95Levi OnwuzurikeDT | 17% | 1 | |||||
| 66Eric O'NeillDE | 4% | 11 |
Jack Campbell plays 97% of the snaps with 58 tackles.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46Jack CampbellLB | 97% | 58 | 1 | 4 | 41 | 118.1 | 1 | |
| 55Derrick BarnesLB | 81% | 34 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 28 | 77.2 | 1 |
| 53Trevor NowaskeLB | 28% | 20 | 1 | 9 | 54.9 | |||
| 44Malcolm RodriguezLB | 24% | 18 | 0.5 | 2 | 5 | 115.8 | ||
| 45Devin WhiteLB | 12% | 10 | 6 | 90.3 | ||||
| 41Jimmy RolderLB | 6% | 11 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 98.6 | ||
| 57Amen OgbongbemigaLB | 0% | 3 |
Chuck Clark is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 61.3 passer rating on 26 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4D.J. ReedCB | 94% | 31 | 19 of 31 | 316 | 2 | 106.9 | 1 | 7 |
| 36Chuck ClarkSAF | 88% | 26 | 12 of 26 | 159 | 61.3 | 1 | 2 | |
| 21Roger McCrearyCB | 77% | 38 | 21 of 38 | 316 | 2 | 94.9 | 7 | |
| 23Rock Ya-SinCB | 40% | 20 | 14 of 20 | 96 | 1 | 96.8 | ||
| 5Christian IzienSAF | 35% | 17 | 12 of 17 | 91 | 1 | 98.9 | 1 | |
| 6Keith Abney IICB | 30% | 8 | 4 of 8 | 42 | 39.6 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2Ennis Rakestraw Jr.CB | 22% | 19 | 11 of 19 | 147 | 80.4 | 2 | ||
| 29Avonte MaddoxFS | 19% | 11 | 6 of 11 | 158 | 2 | 126.3 | 2 | |
| 32Brian BranchCB | 16% | 1 | 0 of 1 | 0.0 | 1 | 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.