The Detroit Lions had a big day on the offensive side of the ball, racking up over 450 yards during their 40-9 preseason drubbing of the New England Patriots on Thursday night. It was their defense that was most impressive, though, holding the Pats to single-digit scoring and forcing four turnovers.
Patriots vs. Lions 2013: Detroit defense puts on strong showing
A strong performance from the defensive line and the return of safety Louis Delmas highlight the Lions’ domination of Tom Brady and the Pats.
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
The defensive line, in particular, impressed Sean Yuille at Pride of Detroit.
The defensive line played a big part in the overall success of the defense for the Lions. They were swarming [Tom] Brady throughout the first half, and their dominance in the preseason continued. There’s a lot to like about the D-line, and the Lions had 2 sacks and 5 quarterback hits in the first half alone, according to Tim Twentyman.
The Lions also got a strong, albeit limited, showing from safety Louis Delmas. Delmas has been dealing with a bothersome left knee throughout training camp and has yet to participate in a single full-contact drill thus far in practice. As Yuille writes, though, Delmas had no problem jumping back in against one of the league's premier offenses.
Delmas only played a couple series, but the very fact that he got on the field for a preseason game is reason enough for me to include him on the winners list. That’s a positive sign, and Delmas really seemed to fire up the defense. What’s more, he had a fumble recovery during the game’s opening drive, which helped set the tone for the rest of the game.
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