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Lions DC acknowledges defense has ‘hands full’ vs. 49ers’ offense originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Detroit Lions will have their hands full against the 49ers on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
Well, at least that’s how the Lions’ defensive coordinator sees the NFC Championship Game playing out.
Aaron Glenn, the Lions’ defensive architect since 2021, explained how well-versed he is in coach Kyle Shanahan’s style, whom he shared the sideline with in Cleveland back in 2014, and the firepower behind the 49ers’ elusive offensive play that will keep Detroit busy.
“Listen, I coached with him [Kyle Shanahan] in Cleveland,” Glenn told reporters Thursday. “He was the offensive coordinator there. We had Johnny Manziel as our quarterback. And he spends a lot of time understanding what fronts you’re in and trying to attack the fronts you’re in.
“He’s one of the best at doing that, too, now. I’ve seen that personally, on how much time he spends on that. And then I’ve seen him grow as far as his passing concepts, especially in today’s game [and how it] works right now. It’s going to be a task, especially with the players that they do have.
“They have skilled players that are some of the best in the league, so, defensively, we have our hands full. We know that. We know that. But the way that I see it, they’re going to have their hands full, too. We are going to go out there and play our best.”
On the other hand, Glenn’s defense will look to keep the 49ers’ hands full in their own way.
Led by defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Glenn and the Lions will look to pressure Brock Purdy in a distinct way, masquerading blitzes with coverages that confuse opposing offenses at a first glance.
Purdy, no stranger to facing and out-playing blitz-happy opponents, knows the Lions’ defensive scheme will offer him and his offense a healthy challenge.
“They do a good job of sort of holding it and disguising it,” Purdy told reporters Friday. “There’s a…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/lions-dc-acknowledges-defense-hands-003732823.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-01-28 00:37:32
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