This was the first thing that popped up when I GISd(that's Google Image Searched you degenerates)Grady Jackson.Close your eyes. Picture the concept of horror, sheer horror. Imagine what it feels like. What you see and feel there is what I expected to feel every time I thought about the defensive line before the season started. Now, close your eyes again. Picture a dumpster fire in hell. Coming into the season, that is what I expected the defensive line to look like.
After all, during the Season of Unnumbered Tears, Stephen Hawking would have found a way to run for 150 yards against these turds. The middle of the line was . . . was . . . I am honestly struggling to come up with the proper adjective or metaphor colorful enough or appropriate enough to describe the sheer level of ineptitude which damned these fools to hell, and if I can't come up with something appropriately ridiculous, well . . . yeah.
Meanwhile, the defensive ends were slightly better, but slightly better in this case means that they actually appeared to be real life football players some of the time instead of escapees from the special-ed class at The Lennie Small School for the Damned. So, yeah, not exactly a compliment.
Coming into this season, the situation appeared just as dismal. I mean, this was a team that was counting on Jared DeVries to be its rock. JARED DEVRIES! Okay, sure, the dude has been a team player for a long time, but come on, really? It said a lot about the state of the line that when DeVries was lost for the season before it even began due to injury that everyone treated it like it was some sort of critical blow. Again, this is JARED DEVRIES! Career backup, fringe NFL player, you know, that guy? Yeah. Indeed.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the line, the Lions were counting on Grady "The Hutt" Jackson, and since he wasn't accompanied by his own Rancor monster to devour opposing ball carriers, chances were pretty decent that we wouldn't get a whole hell of a lot out of him before he broke down and needed a respirator. Thankfully, next to him the Lions had . . . uh, well . . . some dudes I guess who, uh, allegedly were football players. The situation, it, well . . . it wasn't good.
It wasn't all bad news. I was excited to see the continued development of Cliff Avril as a pass rusher, and I thought that Dewayne White could be a solid player and functional stopgap for the time being. Landon Cohen was earning praise during camp as an upcoming super beast and Andre Fluellen seemed like he had enough potential to surprise everyone. None of that is exactly inspiring, but when you are wandering through the desert like we have been, even the tiniest drop of water seems precious.
The season got off to a terrible start when the Lions were blown apart by the Saints. And sure, while some of that was to be expected given the fact that the Saints had Drew Brees and were capable of lighting every team they played up in similar fashion, it was disheartening to see the line crumble in front of the awesome might of Mike Bell, the Saints third string running back, who piled up over 100 yards and generally looked like Emmitt Smith playing against a shitty high school defense. Not exactly the best sign.
I had my finest neck tie all picked out, tied into a noose and attached to the ceiling fan.(What? That shit would be kinda funny, wouldn't it? I mean, yeah, it would be awful to find someone hanging from their own neck tie, but if they were slowly going around in a circle at the time? Hilarious. No? Fine, be that way.) But somehow, miraculously, the Lions run defense actually began to resemble something that could be called a strength. Okay, okay, that is ludicrous to say given the utter ineptitude displayed by the final numbers - the Lions only finished 25th in the league against the run and gave up 4.4 yards per carry - but given the apocalyptic horrors which I had been expecting and which the Saints game seemed to presage, I was actually pleasantly surprised. I know, how incredibly sad.
The thing is, though, is that there was a world of difference between this unit and the one that was pillaged the year before. That shittastic group allowed play after play of easy yardage - seven yards, ten yards, six yards, oops touchdown! - and there was never a sense that they could stop anyone at any time. This past season though was different. The line still gave up too many big plays - plays which caused the final numbers to end up where they did - but gone were a lot of the easy six and seven yard bursts. Instead, the Lions defensive line managed to hold most running backs in check - at least for a while, anyway. The first Vikings game was the perfect example of what I am talking about. In that game, the line managed to plug the middle over and over again, stopping Adrian Peterson cold. Unfortunately, they still couldn't stop Peterson from bouncing outside and frustratingly turning what looked like broken plays into big yardage. That felt like the theme of the season for the defensive line against the run - they managed to stymie the initial play, but couldn't respond and recover well enough to react to the counterpunch.
All that is one long way of saying that the defensive line actually improved fairly significantly against the run. They actually seemed like a real live functioning group of NFL players for a change. But don't get this shit twisted. They still weren't any good. No, good still seems a long way off. But the foundation seems to have been set for continued improvement, and hell, that's something.
Perhaps the biggest piece of that foundation is Sammie Lee Hill, the big rookie from tiny Stillman College who shockingly was thrust right into the starting lineup from day one. It was shocking because Hill was essentially the definition of a project player, a mid-round draft pick from a tiny school where he dominated due to plain old talent despite the fact that his technique was somewhere between nonexistent and a high schooler's. Which doesn't exactly scream instant starter, you know? I was almost sure that the coaching staff would leave Hill on the bench for the majority of the season and let him learn to, you know, actually play football. But Hill started from the day he stepped onto the field, which tells me three things: number one, it is apparent that I am a damn fool; number two, the situation at defensive tackle was so heinously grim that the Lions had no choice but to start someone who was essentially the equivalent of a highly touted high school senior; and number three, that Hill might end up being really, really, really good. Like Leon Lett good.
Hill actually managed to hold his own during his trial by fire, an awesome sign for the future. Meanwhile, next to him, Jackson managed to do what he was expected to do, which was provide a giant fat ass to plug up the hole on obvious running downs. He wasn't a revelation or anything, just an old fat dude who knows what he's doing. He's not here for the long haul, but he's still a useful player who can swallow up obvious runs. There's really not much more to say about him beyond that.
Behind Hill and Jackson at defensive tackle, the Lions relied heavily upon Landon Cohen, the former seventh round pick who has worked his ass off to become a legitimate NFL player. Always a decent athlete, the knock on Cohen has always been that he's too small. After going wild in the gym, though, Cohen managed to transform his body into 300 plus pounds of muscle and piranha teeth. Emerging as a genuine player, Cohen managed to play with outstanding athleticism, showing a natural burst and talent that indicates that he has a shot at becoming a force somewhere down the line. But he still struggles to make plays because he still struggles to get off of blocks, and for a defensive lineman, that's kinda sorta a bad thing, you know? If he can get better at beating his man one on one, and maybe develop a few moves to go along with his natural athleticism, he could continue to progress and give the Lions a useful player for years to come.
Andre Fluellen also saw some time at defensive tackle. Fluellen is kind of a strange case. He possesses a ton of natural ability and Bobby Bowden absolutely loved him while he was at Florida State, but despite all that, he has never really gotten a chance to play. Perhaps the biggest reason is that Fluellen is kind of a tweener. He doesn't exactly have ideal size for a defensive tackle, which means that there is always speculation that he could be moved to an end position. The problem with that, of course, is that there is a reason why he has always played defensive tackle, and that is because his skill set is probably best suited for that position. So what do you do with a guy like that? Well, thankfully, it appears that Fluellen might be perfect physically for what Jim Schwartz looks for in a defensive end, someone big and strong who can provide help against both the run and in the pass rush. Think Kevin Carter. It wouldn't surprise me if this is where Fluellen's future lies - if he has one at all.
Joe Cohen saw some time here as well, and in that time all he managed to do was confuse me, and make me think that Landon Cohen was on the field. This will not stand. There is room for only one Cohen on this roster and I say we stick the two of them in an electrified cage made of chicken wire and force them to brawl until only one man is standing. It's a terrible world, I am afraid, strange and without mercy, and sadly, these things happen.
Unfortunately, while the defensive line stiffened somewhat against the run, the pass rush decided to take the season off. That's cool, so long as you don't mind hanging your defensive backs out to dry all season long. And hey, so what if our defensive backs would have trouble stopping the precision passing of Helen Keller? Defensive ends, you just take your sweet time getting to the quarterback. Yeah, that's it. Just shake the left tackle's hand, maybe tell him joke or two, and oh shit, play's over. Hurry up and get back to the line . . .
Yeah, it was bad. To be fair, part of the reason why the pass rush was so nonexistent was because no one on the defensive line could stay healthy. Seriously, every other series this season seemingly featured a Lions defensive lineman dead on the ground while the commentator casually threw it to a commercial. It was the one thing we could count on every game. It was awful. I probably should have mentioned that when discussing the defensive tackles, but I am kind of cranky and I feel a little off today, uncreative and impatient, so you're getting it now instead. Sorry.
With all that said, even though the Lions struggled to stay healthy - seriously, it got to the point where an opposing coach said the Lions were faking it for fuck's sake - a bigger contributor to the lack of a pass rush is that the Lions didn't have anyone who was any good. I know, such a complex answer, right?
Cliff Avril generated some excitement when he came in as a rookie in The Year of Unnumbered Tears and played like the only defensive lineman who wouldn't be humiliated by a junior high offensive line. He displayed a quick burst and an ability to close quickly on the quarterback. He's basically the sort of player who would excel as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Think Lamarr Woodley. Unfortunately, the Lions don't play a 3-4, and unfortunately, Avril is pretty much the exact opposite of what Jim Schwartz looks for physically in a defensive end. Avril predictably struggled under the new regime - I say predictably because it should have been predictable and would have been predictable once we got a look at what the Lions wanted to do defensively. The reality is that there was a lot of excitement from a lot of different people who felt like Avril could be used as an explosive rusher off of the edge. Whether it was because he was injured a lot of the time or because he just isn't as good as we had hoped, that didn't happen.
It's possible that Avril ends up sticking as sort of a hybrid end/linebacker, but a man without a position in the NFL is usually a man without a job, and in the end, it wouldn't surprise me to see Avril wind up somewhere else, where his skill set and body type are better suited.
Dewayne White, meanwhile, turned in another frustrating season. He once again was banged up for most of the season, and even when he was healthy he didn't really do much. When he first arrived in Detroit, I took notice of White, because it seemed obvious to me that the defense played much better when he was in the game than when he was sitting on the sideline nursing an injury. That's usually a good thing. Unfortunately, White hasn't been able to stay healthy, and the window has probably closed on him being a productive starter for the Lions. Like Avril, he just doesn't fit what Jim Schwartz and company are looking for at the position. And unlike in the past, when he was on the field, White didn't really make the defense any better.
Jason Hunter was not a starter, but due to the injuries to Avril and White, and of course the early trip to the glue factory for Jared DeVries, he ended up being almost a de facto starter, seeing a lot of time this past season. Of course, Hunter also suffered through injuries, but when he was on the field he actually seemed like he was the best out of all the defensive ends, which is sad because, well, he's not that good. Basically a street free agent, Hunter came in and found himself thrown into the fire. He has a little bit of a bigger frame than either White or Avril and he seemed to fit a little better with what the Lions want to do defensively. He came up with 5 sacks on the season and generally seemed like a useful player. I don't really like him as a starter, but I wouldn't mind him being the third or fourth defensive end. Of course, that would mean that the Lions would have two or three dudes better than him and that is a world that just doesn't exist right now. It's pure fantasy. I might as well hope that Gandalf or some nerdy motherfucker like that storms the field and casts a spell on the other team. That would be kinda funny to see during the middle of a game though, right? Some geeky dude tripping balls in a wizard's hat running on the field and making weird hand gestures and chanting at the other team. Shit, I kinda hope this happens.
Turk McBride also saw some time for the Lions after being exiled from Kansas City. He was picked up by Gunther Cunningham, who was his old defensive coordinator with the Chiefs, and he provided some okay depth for the Lions. Again, McBride is not a dude who you want to see as a starter, but he's not a bad player to have around. Unfortunately, he's kind of the same size as White and his fatal flaw is the same one that got him booted from the Chiefs: he doesn't really have a position. Kansas City tried him at outside linebacker when they flipped to a 3-4, and he didn't really work out, so Turk got a visit from The Turk. Look how clever I am! I told you I wasn't feeling creative. Anyway, that is probably a problem that will plague McBride here too. He doesn't seem to fit the physical prototype for what the Lions want - sensing a theme yet? - but he's not capable of nailing down an outside linebacker spot either.
Unfortunately, it seems clear that the Lions don't have anyone right now who really fits what Jim Schwartz wants in a defensive end. This kind of goes for the defensive line as a whole. Sammie Lee Hill seems to be the only piece in place in a very frustrating puzzle, and even if the Lions pick up a couple of solid pieces in the off-season, there is still a lot of work to be done here before the situation can be called anything resembling the word good - or rather, the concept good, because how can a situation resemble a word? That just doesn't make sense, but then again I told you I was feeling off today, so don't say you weren't warned. Also, who cares?
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN FOR THE FUTURE?
Well, it means that there is still a lot of work to be done. Hill is a building block. No one else really is. Avril might be a man without a kingdom, capable but kind of useless for the world he finds himself in. White is probably done being anything other than just a dude. Jackson is a giant fat man who can probably squeeze one or two seasons similar to this past one out for the Lions.
Beyond that, Landon Cohen and Fluellen are interesting prospects, and I could see both developing into key rotational pieces in the near future. Still, that leaves a lot of holes to be filled. The Lions need at least one starting defensive end - actually, probably two - someone who can get to the quarterback in a hurry and hold down the fort against the run. Right now, let's say that the Lions need a seven or eight man rotation here. They have maybe four dudes who really fit into their plans, and only one of those dudes - Hill - is someone who can be considered an every down player. They need more bodies and they need more talented bodies. That's the bottom line. You could argue with me, but then you'd be a damn fool, and I can tell you from experience, being a damn fool is no fun at all. No, sir.
WHAT I SAID BEFORE THE SEASON:
Well . . . this is bad. The depth along the line is absurd, and not in the good way. They are dangerously close to having to pluck some random fat drunk dude out of the crowd in a jersey two sizes too small and plug him in at defensive tackle. The starters are barely adequate - hell, one of them doesn't even exist according to Yahoo's depth chart, and, well, I think Col. Kurtz is staring at me from the shadows. Where am I? What's going on?
GRADE: D-. This would be an F, but there is a hazy framework for the future of the line here - if everything breaks right anyway. Avril is a quality pass rusher, White is solid, Cohen might surprise and Hill should be the man in a couple of years. Unfortunately, it is 2009, not 2011, and I can hear the failure demon cackling.
FINAL GRADE: D. Somehow, Sammie Lee Hill was able to start from day one and not get destroyed. That bodes well for the future. Meanwhile, everything else was terrifyingly accurate - well, except for all the gibberish about Avril being a quality pass rusher and White being solid, but what the hell, it wouldn't be the Lions if there weren't a couple of negative surprises to go along with one good one.
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