The Seattle Seahawks defense is historically good, becoming the first team since the 1969-1971 Minnesota Vikings to lead the league in scoring defense for three straight seasons.
Yet Lions cornerback Darius Slay still doesn't see the Seahawks as being so far in front of the pack.
"We've got the same kind of talent they got," Slay told the Detroit Free Press. "They ain't too much different. They got a pass rush, they've got DBs, we've got DBs. They've got 'backers, we've got 'backers."
Slay is right to point out that the Lions were the league's top defense until late last season. Statistically, Detroit had an outrageous run defense and an underrated pass rush. But the Lions' defense could only do so much in the team's last two losses of the year against Green Bay and Dallas. And the Lions, of course, have lost Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley in the meantime during free agency.
The Lions' secondary was expected to be a huge weakness last season, but they held up well due to surprising seasons from Slay and safety James Ihedigbo, among others. They wound up being a pleasant surprise, but life could be tougher this season without Suh pushing the pocket on passing downs. They certainly don't match up with Seattle in depth up front or in the secondary.
The Lions' defense is one of the X-factors in the NFC North, and it wouldn't be surprising if they fell off dramatically from last year's highs. For the Lions' defense to truly be mentioned with Seattle, they need to excel year after year. And they need Slay to do his best Richard Sherman impression.
*The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses the eight most intriguing training camp battles heading into the season. *
