The Lions’ defense finished out 2010 considerably improved from the previous season, finishing 21st in total defense (32nd in 2009) and 16th in pass defense (32nd in 2009).A large part of their success was due to Lions tackle
The pair not only brought talent to the system, they also brought veteran leadership, something that Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham says has lacked in the past, and made a huge impact on the young defense.
“When Kyle went down (with a neck injury),
“I remember talking to Turk about this and I said, ‘What’s happened?’ He turned to me point blank and said, ‘It’s the leadership on this team. Especially guys like Kyle and Corey.’ When I started to talk to the other guys, it was the same thing, they had role models that they could look up to and grow.”
McBride is one of several players on the defensive side of the ball with five years of experience or less.
Having young, talented developmental players on the roster is an advantage, allowing for a smooth transition when they’re put in the game to replace an injured starter, or part of the line-up rotation.
“It’s kind of been a process of those back-up players seeing somebody like Kyle, or Corey, and some of the other guys out there playing so well that they want to be part of it,” said Cunningham.
“They’ve never really had somebody up front to show them the way and now they’ve blossomed, they’re pretty good players and if Jim says ‘Joe Smith is out,’ great, let’s get John Smith out there to take his place and nobody worries about anything. We just keep going and I think that’s a really good thing to have.”
Cunningham considers solid back-ups to be one of the primary keys to success in this league, and in comparison to other teams, Detroit’s situation is unique.
Having young players who can come in and play just as well as their starting counterparts isn’t common.
“There are a lot of good teams in the NFL, but if they lose their starter, can that back-up player win that game?” he said. “The rule of thumb that I always go into a season with is can this back-up go in and get you out of a game to win it? That’s one. Another one is, can this back-up start one game for a missing starter and win that game.
“When you have those kind of players, and I think we have a few of those, then that’s really a good sign for what this team could be down the road.”
The linebacker position in particular was a group hit hard with injuries throughout the season, losing
When watching film Cunningham said he’d have to double check on what jersey number was in what position on the field, which in the end, did have it’s advantages.
“A lot of people kind of take the back-ups for granted. In our organization, you can’t,” he said. “But the good part of all of that is the experience those guys have going into the 2011 season. That’s the best part of this whole thing.
“Now, in the coaches mind for the offseason, you’re more – not relaxed – but you’re thinking more of things that will help you win instead of scrambling to find a player for the spot. Now we’re being real specific about what we need moving into next year, as opposed to before we had to just had to turn the roster over.”
