Per twitter and Bleacher Report. Resigned OL McClendon and DT Robert Thomas from Pats practice squad. Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
This guy was the starting DT next to Suh last year in their only playoff game. He, Suh, and Fairly I believe shared the majority of the snaps on a defense last year who's opponents averaged less than 70 yards per game rushing (best in the NFL). Right now, Detroit ranks 22nd (with most starters returning) and teams are averaging 112.5 yards per game on the ground against them. Someone please tell me again how they were smart to let Suh walk and how he isn't a top DT in this league lol. In fact Fairly only played in 8 games last year for Detroit and had 8 tackles (14 combined), amazing the impact Suh had on that defense.
As is probably true with Detroit too, with all their significant pieces returning except Suh. After allowing less than 70 yards per game last year on the ground. They don't miss him at all lol.
The Lions lost the top tackling LB from last year in the 1st game, Levy, and Ngata had been banged up earlier, but now that he's healthy he is making an impact, the last 3 games for Det they have been real good against the run, and climbed from 30th to 22nd against the run in that span, and will probably continue to rise.
I didn't know Levy was on IR, that's huge. I know Ngata has been out but he's getting long in the tooth anyway and has trouble staying healthy now. Was definitely surprised to see such a dramatic change in the numbers and I do believe Suh has a lot to do with that, but yea I know all about Levy's talents as well, that's a huge loss.
Suh isn't a great run stuffer though, you could point to the emergence of Levy in 2013 as the real reason for the run D, prior to that they weren't a top 10 run D, and without him this year they struggled, and look at the run D here, with a healthy Suh, he doesn't impact the run D that much, he's a pass rushing DT.
Look at how we miss f****** 5 tackles on a single play. Suh is a pass rushing DT, but it's not like he's weak against the run like you suggest, he's just extremely elite at his position in the passing game, probably the best in the NFL. Losing Levy definitely hurt their run D this year, but so did losing Suh.
Suh is just not strong against the run, that's when you see him getting a lot of his 1 on 1s, and losing a lot, and I'm not sure why people continue to defend Suh, he hasn't made much of an impact at all this year. 4 sacks is not extremely elite, and for his entire career he has 2 FFs and 1 FR, the guy is just flat out overrated, I'd take Atkins, Donald and McCoy over Suh without even thinking about it.
you are starting to sound like a person on the tannehill debate. you are ignoring obvious numbers bc of a feeling. MIAMI WILL GIVE UP OVER 2K RUSHING YARDS... How is Suh a helping against the run then? HE ISN'T. at least to the impact you think he is.
It's a team sport, if Suh was really weak against the run, Detroit wouldn't have had the #1 ranked run defense last year. He was absolutely integral in their success last year against the run, to ignore that is to ignore obvious numbers because of a feeling about him. I find it highly unlikely he's turned to s*** in run support just by switching teams, just the D around him isn't as good as it was last year in reality.
and yet another poster has pointed out that it isn't Suh but the LB'er that has helped Detroit more. Our run defense is WORSE this year than last year, the only thing is we have SUH and our lb'ers are better this year than last year. Yeah it's a team sport but there is 0 support for you saying Suh is helping our run defense.
I can't say he's helping our run D because it's been atrocious. But to think he's not a good player vs. the run just because our unit has sucked this year, ignores the tremendous work he's done in Detroit. Tannenbaum or whoever the F is running this team wouldn't have paid him like they did if he was really a liability in the run game. I trust our FO's ability to watch and accurately judge tape better than anyone on this site (obviously), and you don't shell out that kind of cash to a DT if he doesn't display great run D on tape, which he absolutely has. Just not so much this year, but I personally blame it on the coaches and other guys on the D, we've sucked as a unit this year. Suh hasn't been good enough, but based on his history I would call it a stretch to say Suh is "not strong against the run". Tape doesn't lie and neither does Detroit's run ranking from last year.