In every press conference and interview, MCDC always talks about “limiting the explosives.” If you were drawing up a defensive scheme where the number 1 priority was limiting explosive plays, you’d have the Lions:
Cornerbacks play soft off coverage
Safetys play deep
Linebackers never blitz, and always have eyes on the quarterback in a zone scheme. On running plays they play sideline-to-sideline, but never downhill.
Defensive line plays a 2 gap mush-rush scheme, where keeping contain is more important than getting sacks or tackles for losses.
Hard to limit explosives when your outside corners are both susceptible to getting burnt deep. Takes away your blitzes with safety’s because your CBS constantly need help over top, opens the run game up etc. just how I see if