There is no mystery about the formula this week for HC Dan Campbell: if the Detroit Lions don’t generate pressure on Jordan Love, they risk reliving the same defensive unraveling Green Bay handed them all the way back in Week 1, a 27-13 loss at Lambeau.
This fall, defensive pressure has been one of Detroit’s most inconsistent areas, and the evidence is written all over the numbers. In their last meeting with the Packers, the Lions failed to record a single sack and mustered just two quarterback hits -- an absence of disruption that allowed Green Bay to cruise offensively, pick apart the coverage structure, and dictate pace from start to finish.
Last week’s effort against the New York Giants didn’t provide much reassurance, either. Detroit logged only two sacks, and while they controlled stretches of the game, the pass rush never truly dictated terms. That puts even more focus, and pressure, on a front seven that has the athletic variety to be one of the NFC’s more unique defensive groups.
Aidan Hutchinson remains the fulcrum. His ability to win early in the down, disrupt timing, and string out zone-run concepts will be vital against an offense that wants to stay scheduled.
But he can’t be the only answer.
Lions need rest of defensive line to step up in pass rush
The return of Marcus Davenport could be the quiet catalyst Detroit needs, because at his best, the former first-rounder provides length, power, and a physically overwhelming edge presence that forces quarterbacks to reset their launch points. And if he can constricts the pocket opposite Hutchinson, Love loses the clean windows and balance he thrived on in the first meeting.
The Lions will also need a spark from Al-Quadin Muhammad, who hasn’t recorded a sack in three games. His motor and power-laden approach keep him involved, but impact plays have to surface. Interior defender Roy Lopez is in a similar bucket -- steadily effective, but now counted on for disruption, not just stability.
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Behind them, the linebacking trio -- Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, and Derrick Barnes -- gives Detroit a rare formational flexibility. They rotate downhill thumpers, overhang defenders, and pressures from wide alignments without sacrificing coverage integrity.
That matters against an offense with multiple entry points: Christian Watson and Matthew Golden (should he play) outside, Luke Musgrave up the seam, and a backfield expected to get back Josh Jacobs. If Detroit can force early second-and-long situations by muddying run lanes and cluttering Love’s pocket, they control the rhythm.
Bringing the lens in, the plan from Campbell doesn’t require perfection. It requires disruption. But if the Lions don’t find ways to consistently pressure Love, Green Bay’s offense has already shown what could happen next.