This sport is all about how the Lions defend one other scrambling QB in Jayden Daniels. To maintain it fairly easy, Jayden Daniels IS the engine that retains the Commanders’ offense going. Whether or not or not it’s his steadily rising golf golf equipment he has as a passer or the power he’s as a runner, the Commanders’ offense lives and dies on his means.
There are two facets of this matchup that I’m particularly watching: The Daniels’ scrambles and the targets over the center of the sphere. Towards man protection, Daniels has a 12.1% scramble fee and a 0.13 EPA per play. He’s such a dynamic power as a runner when he can punish man protection, and the Commanders have constructed this offense to let Daniels flip it unfastened as a runner each time he sees a lane. The Lions aren’t that dangerous towards scrambles! nineteenth within the league in EPA per play on scrambles and twentieth in Optimistic Play Charge. Nevertheless, in addition they lead the remaining groups left within the playoffs in Cowl 1 fee, and in Cowl 1 you permit a little bit of gaps for runners resembling Daniels.
But, I feel I fear extra in regards to the Lions’ move protection in Cowl 1 towards this crew, particularly the linebackers. The numbers haven’t been there for Daniels this season towards Cowl 1 (nineteenth in whole EPA), however towards Tampa he confirmed extra of a capability to poke holes in the course of the sphere. He was firing passes towards Cowl 1 focusing on over routes towards Tampa Bay’s overmatched corners, hammering a variety of WR Terry McLaurin like this over route. Love how McLaurin works this path to the within, form of stair-stepping this path to create extra separation.
For Detroit, there are three gamers that I’m circling: LBs Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell, and CB Amik Robertson. Anzalone got here again of their emphatic week 18 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, and he supplied one other regular hand in the course of that protection, particularly in move protection. He drew the duty of defending TE TJ Hockenson, and his physicality actually pissed off the Vikings’ TE. I feel that’s going to be the play towards Zach Ertz, who Daniels actually trusts within the passing sport. He was a bit grabby, sure, however that physicality made such a distinction in that sport with messing up the timing of the offense.
Campbell is highlighted for me as a result of he is likely to be the one to attract the Daniels’ spy for the sport. He’s been REALLY good this season, however he’s undoubtedly higher coming ahead as a blitzer or as a spy. With Anzalone again within the sport, he’s a bit free to roam. Robertson goes to see a variety of McLaurin towards the Commanders, and his disposition as a nook and expertise defending Justin Jefferson may assist him on this one. I’ll be curious how this Lions crew defends Daniels and the Commanders, who current a variety of challenges for what Detroit needs to do.
