Newly acquired pass rusher Za'Darius Smith added some oomph to the Detroit Lions defensive front in Sunday’s 52-6 blowout win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In his first game since heading up I-75 from Cleveland to Detroit, Smith led the Lions with four QB pressures, including two quick pressures, and combined with Jack Campbell for Detroit’s only sack of the game.
“I thought he did some things for us, I thought he did some good things for us,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. “It was good to have him out there. I thought, really like we talked about last week, just be a piece of this puzzle and he’s a guy that’s played, he is instinctive, he doesn’t stay blocked long, he’s really good with his hands. Like I said, he can set an edge in the run game and he’s really good at working gains with (Lions DL Alim McNeill) Mac and (Lions DL and those guys. He’s got a knack for those things. So, I think, first outing with him, I thought it was good. I think he fits right in with us.”
Detroit acquired the 32-year-old pass rusher to help paper over the loss of Aidan Hutchinson, who was lost for the season due to a broken leg. In his first appearance, Smith added a veteran presence who could win one-on-ones, continue Detroit’s stinginess against the run, and move around the formation -- on the sack, he stood up over the interior.
The addition of Smith won’t make the Lions front a juggernaut. With a menacing back end led by young, ball-hawking safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, they don’t need it to be. Detroit needed someone to add depth and a threat to affect the quarterback in big moments. In his first game, Smith showed enough to believe his addition can be a force multiplier.