Look, I’m not going to pretend this Lions defense doesn’t have more holes than your favorite pair of sweatpants, but I wouldn’t pin the blame on their defensive line. With Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill (2025 first-rounder Tyleik Williams enters the conversation as a run-only player), Detroit has high-end talent capable of taking over a series, half or game if you let them.
Per Sumer Sports, only Texans edge rusher Will Anderson (43) has made more impact plays at the position than Hutchinson (37). They define that stat as highly graded singular plays. He’s also second in pressures (50), trailing only Greg Rousseau.
McNeill also had 37 impact plays, putting him 5th among interior defensive linemen, behind Jeffery Simmons, Quinnen Williams, Zach Allen, and Dexter Lawrence. In other words, among the best of the best. McNeill’s 50 pressures put him at the top of the heap for that stat, and his first-step quickness is quite something for a man that size.
So, word to the wise: keep a close eye on that duo: McNeill because of the Pats' interior issues, where it’s looking like it might be back to Greg Van Roten on the left side (Walter Rouse is concussed), but also Hutchinson against both tackles because he is not a stationary player and will flip sides (53% over the left side, 43% on the right).
But if the Pats can block it up - the Lions are seventh overall in pressure rate - and give Drake Maye time, there are plays to be made all over the place against this secondary. That pass defense is 26th in EPA, and they love to play a lot of man-to-man (37%+), but they do so with aggressive alignments, pressing far more than their talent suggests they should.
Maye thrives versus man, both with his arm and by scrambling. The third-year pro also has a 13% explosive play rate this season, the third-best in the league. He does that despite teams using a ton of split-safety and two-high looks designed to take away downfield throws, especially to the outside. Of course, hunting those plays can also lead to turnovers, and no one has thrown more interceptions this season than Maye (tied with Justin Herbert with 11). Can he eliminate those this weekend?
“I think you’re trying to not get too high through the highs and lows,” Maye said from Germany on Thursday. “Coach Vrabes (Mike Vrabel) always says try not to ride the roller coaster and try to ride the merry-go-round. Keep going around and keep trying to keep the same mindset. But that’s part of this game, especially this position.”
There will be pressure on Maye and the offense to