Two weeks ago Ty Johnson Jersey 2019 , Lions coach Matt Patricia took some criticism in the media for having his team practice outdoors on a cold day, even though the Lions were preparing to play a game at home, indoors. Patricia later got defensive with reporters when explaining why he believes outdoor practices are important.As if to underscore his point, Patricia again had the Lions outdoors in freezing temperatures today, even though they’re again playing indoors at home on Sunday.Patricia insists there are important reasons to practice in poor weather, even if the elements won’t be a factor in Sunday’s home game against the Rams. Patricia has said, for instance, that he thinks players are forced to pay close attention to their footwork when practicing on frozen tundra. The Lions beat the Panthers after that outdoor practice two weeks ago Color Rush Ty Johnson Jersey , so Patricia got some measure of vindication.In two weeks, the Lions will finally play in what is likely to be cold weather, when they travel to Buffalo. Maybe that will be the week Patricia rents out a giant sauna for the Lions to practice in.Football Outsiders Q&A Part 4: Where does the Lions’ secondary rank in the NFL? On Wednesday, Football Outsiders’ Assistant Editor Scott Kacsmar told us that if the Detroit Lions’ pass rush is lacking in 2018, they better have an elite secondary to compensate. It is extremely rare to sport an above-average defense if you aren’t creating consistent pressure on the quarterback, and the only way to survive is forcing a lot of interceptions with your defensive backs.The Lions were able to do something like that last year. Darius Slay led the league in picks last year, and the Lions were able to finish the season tied for the fourth-most interceptions in the league.But has the Lions’ secondary convinced Scott that they’re good enough to carry Detroit’s defense again this year? That’s today’s topic:Question 4: Where would you rank this Lions secondary in respect to the rest of the league? You might be able to squeeze them into the top 15 thanks to Darius Slay. Glover Quin usually charts well at safety. As we wrote in the book, the secondary may have relied too much on Slay last year. We need to see more from Teez Tabor in his second season Cheap Ty Johnson Jersey , or perhaps one of the young safeties (Miles Killebrew or Tracy Walker) can start to break out more in this defense.It may be hard for Lions fans to hear, but Kacsmar brings up a good point. Quarterbacks will soon learn—if they haven’t already—that targeting Darius Slay is a mistake. Who will the Lions rely upon to hold down the other side of the field? That Lions’ No. 2 cornerback camp battle has been one of the most publicized positional battles and for good reason. Right now, it appears Nevin Lawson holds the position, and his play has been average at best. DeShawn Shead brings good competition (if he can stay healthy) and perhaps the growth of Teez Tabor could help inspire some improvement at CB2, but the team isn’t there yet, and opponents could take advantage of that.I would’ve like to see Kacsmar mention Quandre Diggs, especially considering nickel cornerback has essentially become a starting position in the NFL. Diggs has taken everything the Lions have thrown at him and excelled. He’s easily the most underrated player on this team, and his versatility will make him a huge asset under Matt Patricia. Therefore Ty Johnson Jersey Womens , I think top 15 is selling the Lions’ secondary a little short. Assuming good injury luck, there’s no reason this shouldn’t be a top 10 set of defensive backs. For more content from Football Outsiders, check out their store, which includes their always fabulous Almanac.Tomorrow’s topic: Matthew Stafford with a running game
