‘Defense Wins Championships’ and the Detroit Lions are the Only Team Left Without an Elite Top-3 Defense.
The only remaining club vying for a spot in the Super Bowl without a top-three scoring defense is the Detroit Lions, who take on the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.
With an opponent scoring only 16.5 points per game, the Baltimore Ravens lead the league in scoring defense overall. In their lone postseason game, they gave up just 10 points to the Houston Texans.
With just 17.3 points allowed per game, the Kansas City Chiefs boast the second-best scoring defense in the league. In their two postseason games, the Chiefs have given up 15.5 points per game to the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.
In the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers’ defense is ranked third. Compared to the Chiefs, they give up only 0.2 more points per contest. In their lone postseason game, they gave up 21 points to the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers.
The Detroit Lions’ scoring defense is ranked 23rd.
The Detroit Lions are positioned in the latter half of the standings with the 23rd-ranked scoring defense in the NFL. They allow 23.2 points per game. Their average score surrendered in their opening two postseason games was 23 points.
The Lions’ defense, which allows 336.1 yards per game, is ranked 19th nationally. They have allowed 416.5 yards per game in the playoffs. The two playoff teams with the highest yards allowed per game, the Packers and Cowboys, are eliminated.
One strength of the Lions defense is their rush defense. They have the second-best rush defense in the whole league this season, allowing just 88.8 yards per game on the ground. Their rush defense has gotten better in the postseason; they allow only 78.5 yards per contest.
Interior defensive lineman Alim McNeill is largely responsible for their excellent rush defense. He clears the way for other defensive front seven playmakers, such as edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, to generate plays on the edge by fighting through run blocks and facing double teams.
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