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    • How the Lions stopped the Texans’ run game, Joe Mixon
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    How the Lions stopped the Texans’ run game, Joe Mixon

    Vaseline Posted on

    The Detroit Lions pulled off a highly improbable comeback in Houston on Sunday night, using a stout defense to create numerous opportunities for an offense that ultimately produced enough success to get the job done in a 26-23 win.

    Everyone will remember Carlton Davis’ two second-half interceptions as plays that flipped the script, but what really kept the Lions afloat was a sensational – and historic – performance by the defense.

    Entering Week 10, Texans running back Joe Mixon had topped 100 yards in five of his six games so far this season and was looking to break a Houston franchise record (four) for most consecutive games with 100 yards or more.

    The Lions completely shut him down for 46 yards on 25 carries. That was the fewest yards for any player with more than 25 touches since 2013, according to Mike Renner of CBS Sport.

    It was an extremely positive development for a unit that had seen its famed run defense slip a bit in the absence of Aidan Hutchinson and Josh Paschal.

    So, how did the Lions bottle up one of the NFL’s most dynamic running backs? Let’s watch the movie.

    Looking back

    Before we go into what happened against the Texans, let’s take a look back at the week before, when Paschalis was still absent due to an illness. On the second play of the game, DJ Reader (No. 98) gets inside penetration, but Packers running back Josh Jacobs hits him with a great spin move and Al-Quadin Muhammad (No. 69) fails to put the lead , allowing Jacobs to break free on the outside for a gain of 13 yards.

    The Lions like Muhammad a lot, and he’s a great plug-and-play guy as they’ve tried to cobble together some semblance of a pass rush, but this play is an example of where Detroit has been a bit undermanned over the past few years was. to soften.

    Set the border

    Let’s compare that to this run from Mixon in the fourth quarter. It’s a different blocking scheme and Paschal is picked up by the tight end, but he makes sure to maintain that outside presence and forces Mixon into the middle, straight into the arms of Alim McNeill (54), for no gain. For good measure, Paschal actually pushes his man into Mixon’s running track.

    Wrong city

    For whatever reason, the Texans often tried to deal Paschalis with a tight end or linebacker. It rarely turned out well.

    ▶ Exhibit A: With 10:02 left in the second quarter, Paschal lines up against a tight end and just completely overwhelms him, easily grabbing Mixon before he can hit the hole and putting him down for no gain. He really makes it look easy here.

    ▶ Exhibit B: Later in the same quarter, the Texans have first and ten in the red zone and try to get a piece to the outside with a throw to the right. Lions safety Brian Branch (32) shoots a hole on the outside to seal the rim, forcing Mixon back inside, where Paschal had made light work of 195-pound receiver John Metchie (8) and clears it up for a new zero meter run.

    Team defense

    Obviously when you have such a complete 60 minute performance it can’t be attributed to just one player. While getting Paschal back certainly helped, you can tell the Lions made stopping Mixon a focal point of their game plan, as head coach Dan Campbell alluded to on Monday.

    Many stops in Detroit came down to multiple players doing their jobs at a high level. On Mixon’s second run of the day, the Texans send a tight end into motion that goes straight at Lions linebacker Trevor Nowaske (53), but Nowaske effectively creates a double-team for himself by also grabbing the tight end across from him on the line. from scrimmage. This prevents the playside tight end from getting into space and taking out another defender, allowing Branch to swoop in and hit Mixon for a tackle-for-loss.

    Man up

    Finally, when the Lions didn’t get a pack of defenders near the ball carrier, they executed one-on-ones at a very high clip.

    Early in the first quarter we have an example of a tight end actually getting the better of Paschal and keeping him from taking the lead, putting Mixon one-on-one with Davis on the outside. This is a situation that the attack will last all day. If he can beat Davis in the open field, he will have plenty of room to maneuver and a good shot to move the chains.

    But instead, Davis completes the tackle for a gain of just 2.

    Conclusion

    What did the Lions do right en route to a historic achievement? Literally everything. They swarmed to the football, played good team defense with good technique and played one-on-one when called upon. After giving up a big first half (89 yards on 10 carries) to Jacobs the week before — he only slowed in the second half as Green Bay was forced to throw it — Detroit was on its P’s and Q’s en route to a memorable comeback victory.

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