Lions' Dan Campbell says sacks aren't that big of a deal, here's why he's right
The Detroit Lions defense did not do a thing that Lions fans were really hoping they would do a lot of last year and that's get to the quarterback and rack up sacks. It just didn't happen a lot. The Lions finished the season with 40 sacks in 2023. That was good for 24th in […]
The Detroit Lions defense did not do a thing that Lions fans were really hoping they would do a lot of last year and that's get to the quarterback and rack up sacks. It just didn't happen a lot. The Lions finished the season with 40 sacks in 2023. That was good for 24th in the NFL.
Where the Lions finished high in the pass rush world was in total pressures. The Lions had 417 of them in 2023. That was the fourth most in the NFL. According to Lions head coach Dan Campbell, that pressure number is more important than the sack total.
"Sacks aren't that big of a deal as long as you're getting the pressures." Campbell said. "As long as you're getting pressures and those pressures show up and affect the quarterback negatively, you know. Now would you rather have a sack, absolutely I'd rather have sacks, loss yardage and all those things, but the pressures are more to me. Pressure, that affects the quarterback."
It's hard to argue with Campbell on that. Obviously sacks are important, but you can't always get them. It just doesn't happen as much as you'd want it to. But if you're putting pressure on a quarterback, that's going to change the way that play breaks down and changes what the quarterback is able to do, even if you don't take him down.
"We watched a couple of clips this morning in front of the team. Quarterback wants to step up, he can't step up and throw is high. You know, he's flipping to his right and he can't get his hips around and throws a pick. So these things that end up in negative plays, whether it's incomplete or its turnovers or whatever, I'll take those all day long."
The Lions had multiple moments like that from the 2023 season that show what Campbell is talking about, but it's the Ifeatu Melifonwu interception that sealed the NFC North championship that really shows it.
The pocket begins to close around Mullens and when he sees Hutchinson right next to him, he steps up in the pocket and throws the ball before he was set. that ball turns into a duck and then Melifonwu has a chance to jump the route.
Take the pressure off Mullens and he's able to throw that ball earlier and without haste and we're talking about the Lions suddenly having to win the NFC North in a different game. Pressure makes that big of a difference. A sack would have been cool, but a turnover in the closing seconds is way cooler.
The Vikings still had three timeouts and Jefferson was on one in this game. A sack sets them back a little, but they had time and resources to make that back up. You literally saw them do that in the closing moments of the first half of this very game when the Lions sacked Mullens and then they made up the yardage and ended the half with a K.J. Osborn touchdown.
The Lions should still be looking to get sacks. Don't write them off. Campbell certainly doesn't think you should. But it's clear that you can't get as many sacks as you want, but pressures are still something you can get and the Lions were one of the best at it in 2023. With the additions of DJ Reader and Marcus Davenport as well as a much improved secondary, the Lions could be the best pressure team in 2024.
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