Despite their loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the Detroit Lions received some bad news regarding linebacker Alex Anzalone. Yesterday it was confirmed that Anzalone will miss the remainder of the regular season with a broken forearm.
The injury occurred when Anzalone made a tackle on Jaguars running back Travis Etienne with 2:32 left in the second quarter. As Etienne approached the sideline, his left arm got caught between the running back and his teammate Brian Branch.
Fortunately, it sounds like Anzalone could return for the playoffs, as he's only expected to miss 6-8 weeks. To fill the void, the Lions need players like Malcolm Rodriguez and Jack Campbell to step up the defense. Additionally, the Lions have added linebacker David Long to their practice squad.
Long is considered one of the best linebackers in football in 2023 and was somewhat of a surprise to be available last week. However, Long had lost his starting job in the Dolphins' defense and was ultimately fired on November 13, 2024.
Before playing a season and a half with the Dolphins, he spent four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He was originally drafted by the Titans in the 6th round of the 2019 NFL draft out of West Virginia. Let's watch film to see what the Lions are getting with linebacker David Long!
LB 11 David Long appears to be effective when blitzing. I have to imagine the Lions envision such a role for him in their defense.
– Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft)
Let's start by saying that I think Long's best fit for Detroit might be whenever he's blitzing. As we know, after losing Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions had to get creative to generate pressure. Using various blitzes and line stunts, the Lions could get creative to get Long into the backfield.
If you look at the play above, you can see a clear flash of Long (LB 11). He times the snap well and rushes through the B gap. He slides under the right tackle, who tries to pull him out and throw him out. However, Long does a great job ripping the ball from underneath and making a tackle in the backfield.
Through the first four weeks of the season, Long ranked 3rd in PFF's tackle-for-loss rate database. In 65 run defense snaps, he posted a tackle-for-loss rate of 6.15%. The hope for Detroit is that they can utilize some of what he did so well early in the season.
Okay, now let's talk. This is great from David Long. See the ball, get the ball.
– Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft)
Let's stick with Long's performance against the Bills earlier this season and look at my favorite play of his on tape. During the four games I watched, there were certainly some shocking reads and plays from Long. However, the piece above is a perfect example of Long playing with persuasion and violence.
Looking at the play above, Long (LB 11) is aligned in a “10” (between guard and center) and is doing great. As he begins to take off downhill, Bills LT 73 Dion Dawkins hits him. Instead of waiting for Dawkins to step up and block him, Long shocks the blocker and throws him off.
While creating separation, he can see both sides of the blocker. As soon as he sees the running back making his cut, he slips underneath and makes a great tackle on the hole. It was educational for Long, and the Lions hope he can play like that again.
I think he just needs to trust his abilities and stay patient.
Clip 1 against Arizona: In great position, but he plays too quickly into the cutback lane and the RB can run through his arm tackle.
Clip 2 against Jacksonville: Reads the RG as initially making “missteps” but recovering…
– Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft)
While the previous piece was a great highlight, I want to reiterate that it's not all sunshine and rainbows when watching Long. There are times when he seems hesitant, plays too slow or too fast, or simply reads the wrong way.
If you're a younger player, you can get away with it. However, when you're a six-year veteran and one of the league's top run defenders over a period of time, it's difficult to justify poor performances when they add up. That's the case with David Long.
For example, if you look at the two clips posted above, let's start with the first one against Arizona. Long reads the zone blocks executed by the Cardinals' offensive line, but as the game progresses he becomes impatient and gets burned. Assuming the running back will cut corners, Long would have looked like a stud.
Instead, it looks a bit silly that he's trying to cope with three players. Then he goes to tackle, but instead of a good tackle, he attacks with his arm and the running back continues up from there.
Finally, the second clip is against Jacksonville. In a “20” alignment (with the head over the guard), you can see Long’s first steps going to the right. A large part of this is due to his falling in love with the “eye candy” that draws right guard. Luckily, he recovers well thanks to his ability to change direction, get over the top, and hit the running back in the C-gap.
As you can see, there are some pretty good plays from Long and then some head-scratching plays as well. This is usually the case with any player who is released in the middle of the season.
Coming into the year against the Jaguars and Bills, it was evident that Long was playing like himself again. However, he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks and hasn't looked right since. It could be because he plays with that hesitation, or it could just be that he just looks slow on tape sometimes.
Luckily, Long comes to a place like Detroit where they simply get the best out of their players. They made it work with Charles Harris for two years. Defensive lineman John Cominsky appeared to be on his way out of the league, but he has been with the Lions for three seasons. It's just the way this team is coached and you can expect David Long to be held to a high standard.
The Lions play the Indianapolis Colts this week and then quickly play the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving. If I had to guess, it would be unlikely that Long would play in these two games for the Lions. However, we could see him starting against the Green Bay Packers in three weeks, or possibly the Buffalo Bills in the game after that. Regardless, it will take some time for him to adjust to the Lions' defensive system.
While the Lions continue to battle injuries on defense, they are still moving forward and have the best record in the NFL and NFC. With the addition of David Long, the Lions could certainly use him for their push towards the end of the season.
