News: BTB: Cowboys @ Lions: 5 Questions With Pride Of Detroit

NewsBot · Oct 24, 2013

As the Cowboys get ready for their game with the Detroit Lions, I hooked up with Sean Yuille from Pride Of Detroit for a segment of 5 Questions. Check it out.

Blogging The Boys: The Detroit defensive line hasn't had the success many thought they would, any insight as to what's going on there?

Pride Of Detroit: One of our writers examined the Lions' lack of a pass rush this week and found a few reasons behind their overall ineffectiveness. Strictly for the D-line, it seems like the Lions are just not able to finish plays. They get close to a sack on many occasions before simply running out of time when the ball is released. One theory on this is that the secondary isn't doing an effective job in coverage, allowing opposing quarterbacks to release the ball quickly and preventing the D-line from having enough time to get to the quarterback.

BTB: What is the latest on the injury situation at offensive tackle?

POD: Right tackle Jason Fox has finally returned to practice after missing a couple weeks with a knee injury, and starting left tackle Riley Reiff practiced on a limited basis on Thursday. Corey Hilliard, Fox's replacement at right tackle, remains sidelined after getting hurt this past Sunday. If Fox is healthy enough to play, he should start, as should rookie undrafted free agent LaAdrian Waddle if Reiff and Hilliard both can't go. It's certainly concerning that injuries have piled up so much at offensive tackle, but luckily the Lions have their bye coming up after this week.

BTB: How has the addition of Reggie Bush helped? How are the Lions using him most effectively?

POD: Adding Reggie Bush has given the Lions a playmaker in the backfield. Their running game still isn't going to give defenses too many concerns, but having someone who can break a run off for a long touchdown is what they missed last year with Jahvid Best not getting cleared to return from a concussion. It's also nice to have someone like Bush in the pass game, and he's really most effective when they spread things out and let him get the ball in space. He's very dangerous when the Lions give him room to work.

BTB: I'm seeing a lot of debate about Stafford's accuracy and missing some important throws this season. What's your take on his game?

POD: I personally think the accuracy concerns are a bit overblown. Yes, Stafford missed on a couple of deep balls against the Bengals that could have gone for six points. And sure, there are times when he misses on throws that guys like Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers consistently hit. But generally speaking, Stafford has been much better this season compared to 2012. He's done a better job of taking care of the ball, and he's regularly putting up pretty good numbers despite not having a very good group of wide receivers. Obviously Calvin Johnson is an amazing weapon to have for a quarterback (when healthy), but the overall talent level is not great at wide receiver, especially with Nate Burleson out.

BTB: How good is the defensive pass coverage for the Lions? Dallas is using the passing game a lot, including empty-set backfields, can the Lions contain them?

POD: I don't know if the Lions can contain the Cowboys' passing attack considering Andy Dalton just threw for 372 yards and 3 touchdowns against them last week. The Lions have done a nice job of forcing turnovers by way of picking off passes, but generally speaking, their pass defense is quite bad. Cornerback Chris Houston has looked completely lost this season, and the Lions have had to rely far too much on veteran Rashean Mathis, who can't seem to stay healthy. What's more, rookie Darius Slay has been quite inconsistent, so there's really not a lot to like about the play of the cornerbacks and the pass defense so far this season.

Thanks Sean, and for more info on the Lions visit Pride Of Detroit.

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News: BTB: Cowboys @ Lions: 5 Questions With Pride Of Detroit

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