Pride of Detroit
Breaking down the All-22 of how new Lions defensive end Za’Darius Smith looked in his debut with the team.
For weeks leading up to the NFL trade deadline, fans of the Detroit Lions clamored for general manager Brad Holmes to make a move. And not just any move, something that was going to move the needle for a team with legitimate championship aspirations.
Despite it still being prior to the halfway point of the season at the time, Detroit’s defensive front had been decimated by injuries, headlined by the loss of star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. As the hour approached, the rumblings got louder and just like that—defensive end Za’Darius Smith was traded to Detroit from the Cleveland Browns.
Since it would have been Smith’s bye week had he not been traded from Cleveland, Lions coach Dan Campbell elected not to dress Campbell during their Week 10 win over the Houston Texans. Having a few days off also afforded Smith the chance to return back to Florida to assess the damage caused to his home from this year’s hurricane season—a classy move no matter what some little guy from New Jersey might tell you.
The 10-year veteran made his debut during the Lions’ 52-6 thumping of the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11, and he certainly did not disappoint. Let’s check out some of the All-22 and see how Smith’s first appearance in defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s defense shook out.
One thing I liked that Glenn did with Smith was how he varied where he lined up pre-snap. Here we have an obvious passing down for the Jaguars, and we get Smith standing up over the center, with defensive tackle Alim McNeill at the three-technique, and edge rushers James Houston and Josh Paschal on the outside.
Almost like you see in the NBA, coaching staffs are looking to expose mismatches now more than ever in the NFL. And the majority of the time, Smith against any interior offensive lineman is going to be a challenge for the blocker.
Below is another instance where he is standing up in a passing situation with the Jaguars in their hurry-up offense. That is Pro Bowl right guard Brandon Scherff that Smith made quick work of by beating his hands, and hurrying Jacksonville quarterback Mac Jones.
Next up, we just have an instance of Glenn just being mean. Look at the front he rolls out against Jacksonville as they go for it on fourth-down late in the game. Smith is able to easily work around Jacksonville center Mitch Morse, and Jones has zero chance to do anything before the defense gets to him. Also, watch what Jack Campbell does to the poor guard while he is trying to clear things up to get McNeill free. Sheesh.
Lastly, we have Smith standing in a wide alignment next to McNeill. Jones is able to get the ball out on time,...
