The Detroit Lions are staring down a massive problem this Sunday: their defense against the deep ball is, frankly, atrocious, and they are about to face the league’s most aggressive deep passer in Green Bay’s Jordan Love. This is not just a casual observation. The numbers paint a grim picture for Detroit and a wide-open field for the Packers.
Love’s Deep Game Is No Secret
Green Bay’s Jordan Love isn’t just throwing long sometimes, he is throwing long *all the time*. He has attempted more passes of 20+ air yards than any other quarterback in the league. This is part of the Packers’ DNA. They have ranked in the top five for attempted deep shots in every season but one since at least 2018. The only outlier was 2025 when they were still eighth. Love has two serious deep threats in Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, who will be a nightmare for any secondary.
Detroit’s Defense Is in a Tough Spot
Here’s where it gets brutal for the Lions. They are flat-out terrible at defending deep passes this season. We’re talking bottom of the barrel. Detroit ranks 32nd in EPA/pass (+1.41) when targeted deep. They are 31st in yards per game (80.6) allowed on deep shots, and 31st in yards per play (18.3) allowed. Lions coach Dan Campbell knows exactly what this means when facing Watson and Golden. Campbell explicitly said, “It presents some big challenges because these aren’t guys that can just track the ball down. They have got speed now. I mean, they have got speed and they can track the ball and the quarterback gives them a nice pretty ball, man, lays it out there.” He added, “And really about 50 percent of these are either DPI or catches, which is talk about explosive. So, that’s the danger in it.” That is some serious honesty right there.
The Tricky Balance of Containing the Pack
The challenge for the Lions does not end with just trying to stop the deep ball. Campbell also pointed out that they cannot afford to simply play their safeties deep, hoping to take away the long shots. Why? Because that is when Packers tight end Tucker Kraft comes alive underneath. “If you’re going to use it to take the top off on some of this, well now you have got Kraft underneath and you have got to worry about the backs. It does, it creates some issues, man, that you have got to be ready for,” Campbell explained. This means Detroit has to make some tough calls. Should Brian Branch be focused on erasing Kraft over the middle? Is he best at nickel, box safety, or deep safety, or even a combination of all three? Do they roll the dice with the athletic Keith Abney, or play it safer with veteran Chuck Clark?
This Sunday, the Lions have some serious choices to make. The answers will dictate whether Detroit can slow down the Packers’ relentless deep attack or if Jordan Love adds another clinic to his deep-ball resume.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pride of Detroit.
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