The Detroit Lions defense did not have a good performance on Sunday despite winning the game 31-30 in overtime against the New Orleans Saints, and cornerback Rock Ya-Sin drew the worst grade of anyone on that side of the ball. The secondary was a major concern.
They gave up 410 passing yards to Tyler Shough. There were several players on defense who were not good on Sunday. Ya-Sin did not have a good day against the Saints despite making seven tackles, and he was flagged twice in coverage, for illegal contact in the second quarter and a 21-yard pass interference penalty in the third. Pro Football Focus grades players each week on how they performed.
Rock Ya-Sin Sits at the Bottom of the Lions Defense
Jacob Richman of MLive reported the Lions’ PFF grades from the Week 1 win over the Saints. The five lowest-graded defenders with at least 10 snaps were cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (46.1), defensive end Derrick Moore (53.3), defensive back Avonte Maddox (55.6), linebacker Jack Campbell (56.7), and cornerback Keith Abney II (63.2). PFF’s Mark Chichester wrote up the game, and the site’s grades can move as its analysts review the tape. DSN’s full rundown of the Lions’ Week 1 grades has the top of the list, where Aidan Hutchinson led the way.
“The secondary was clearly an issue, with most of the low grades coming from the unit after giving up 410 yards in the air to the Saints. The only players to post coverage grades over 70 were two linebackers, Barnes and Rodriguez, and Abney, who still had some issues including a key late penalty. A 63.7 overall team coverage grade wasn’t disastrous, but likely was the product of a strong first half and two interceptions.”
The Secondary Has Four Days to Fix It
The secondary needs to be better against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night in Buffalo. If not, the Lions will need to be making a trade for a cornerback in the near future as well.
