Stafford relishes going against a blitz

Nov 16, 2017 - 5:11 PM ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Bring on the blitz.

Matthew Stafford has been red-hot against extra-man rushes of late, and the Detroit Lions quarterback said Wednesday he enjoys it when teams try to blitz him.

"I think the majority of the time, it creates opportunities," Stafford said. "Opportunities in the pass game and chances. Obviously if they're rushing me with more people, there's less people to tackle guys who have the ball down the field. So, we've done a nice job making some plays."

Stafford completed 10 of 12 passes for 158 yards when the Cleveland Browns blitzed him last week, according to Pro Football Focus, and two of Stafford's three touchdown passes came against blitzes.

Stafford's recent success is in sharp contrast to early in the season, when he and the Lions struggled against extra-man rushes.

The improvements are due in part to better blocking up front in recent weeks. Taylor Decker made his first start of the season at left tackle on Sunday, and right tackle Rick Wagner is healthy after an early-season ankle injury.

It's helped, too, that Stafford finally has a full complement of weapons to work with at the skill positions.

Golden Tate, Marvin Jones and TJ Jones have been the regulars for the Lions' offense this year, and Kenny Golladay returned last week after a five-game absence due to a pulled hamstring.

Golladay played just 11 snaps against the Browns, but he caught two passes for 64 yards, including a 50-yarder that set up running back Theo Riddick's game-tying touchdown.

Golladay, a third-round pick out of Northern Illinois, is now responsible for two of the Lions' four longest pass plays this year. He also caught a 45-yard touchdown pass in the season opener.

Tate also has a 45-yard catch, and Riddick caught a 63-yarder against the Green Bay Packers, though neither of those plays came on shots downfield.

Stafford said it was helpful to have Golladay back in the fold last week, and he should play a bigger role moving ahead.

"I know he had worked extremely hard to get back, and as far as what he can do down the stretch, I think we'll see," Stafford said. "He's a young kid. He hasn't played a whole lot of football with us, but the times he's been out there, he's done a nice job. And I'd expect like anybody in this league, the better you play, the more your opportunities come."

--Second-round pick Teez Tabor has played just 14 defensive snaps for the Lions this year, but Pro-Bowl safety Glover Quin paid the rookie cornerback a high compliment Wednesday when he said Tabor reminds him of a young Glover Quin.

"He's kind of like me," Quin said. "He's not a super-fast guy and when you're not a super-fast guy, you understand and learn at a young age that you have to rely on technique, you have to rely on being smart, you have to rely on all those things. And that's what he does well. Kind of like I said, like me. I've never been the fastest, strongest guy, so I've had to rely on technique, I've had to rely on fundamentals and I've had to rely on using my brain to beat you to where you're going."

The Lions drafted Tabor with an eye toward the future. They returned Darius Slay, Nevin Lawson and Quandre Diggs at cornerback, and signed DJ Hayden in free agency.

Both Lawson and Hayden are free agents after the season, and Tabor should find himself in the cornerback rotation next year.

"He's coming," Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said. "He's been adjusting. He's been doing a nice job in practice, and I mean you see the things that we certainly notice during our evaluation process. He's long, he moves, he's smart, all those kinds of things."

--Anthony Zettel has been one of the most pleasant surprises for the Lions defense this year.

Zettel took over as the starting left end after Kerry Hyder tore his Achilles tendon in the preseason, and he leads the team with six sacks in nine games.

At times, Zettel has been the team's only real pass-rushing threat on the defensive line as Ziggy Ansah has been slowed by back and knee injuries.

Asked if he ever envisioned this sort of production when the Lions drafted Zettel in the sixth round last year, Caldwell said, "I'm not certain you could ever kind of imagine he'd be who he is, but you knew he had the kind of drive, discipline, dedication, all of those things that make for a guy making the kind of strides that he's made. So you'd never doubt him in that regard. But you also don't make any great projections in this league, either, because obviously it's difficult. But he's doing a great job."

NOTES: G T.J. Lang is expected back in the lineup Sunday after missing last week's win over the Browns with a concussion. Lang canceled his weekly radio appearance on Tuesday because he still was in concussion protocol, but he was a full participant in a padded practice Wednesday. Corey Robinson, fresh off injured reserve, started in Lang's place last week. ... DE Ziggy Ansah missed his fourth straight practice Wednesday with a back injury, leaving his status for Sunday's game against the Bears in doubt. Ansah has been slowed by a knee injury most of the season, but he sat out the Browns game with back problems. ... LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday after missing the Browns game. ... LB Kasim Edebali was awarded to the Lions off waivers on Wednesday. Edebali played eight games with the Denver Broncos this year and had one tackle.