APHaloti Ngata played on some very good defenses in his nine seasons in Baltimore. But he thinks he’s part of something really special in Detroit.
Ngata says that alongside fellow Lions defensive linemen Jason Jones, Ziggy Ansah, Caraun Reid and Darryl Tapp, he thinks he’s on the best defense he’s been a part of in his entire career.
“It’s exciting, man,” Ngata said, via the Detroit Free Press. “I’ve never been a part of a defense like this. You have so many athletes: J.J., Ziggy, Caraun, Darryl Tapp. You just have so many playmakers all over the front on the D-line. I’m just excited to be a part of it.”
Ngata expects to enjoy his role in the Lions’ defense.
“I’ve been down in Baltimore a long time and changing to this type of defense, it’s just exciting. I’m excited to do it and I’m excited to be here. Just can’t wait to put the pads on to see how it really feels,” he said.
Ngata is joining one of the best defenses in the league from 2014, but it’s also a defense that lost its best player in Ndamukong Suh. The Lions have to hope Ngata is able to help make up for the absence of Suh, and that his assessment of Detroit as the best defense he’s been on proves correct.
Are we really expected to believe that he’s never been apart of a more talented defense after winning a Super Bowl with Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs and company? Yet the Suh-less Lions Defense is more talented? C’MON MAN.
True, he’s always played with good defenses.
It’s going to be hard to top the 10th best rush defense of all time like the Lions had last year. With a year of the new offensive system under their belt and time to really get it down, they might not need to!
Might as well try and sell it to yourself by selling it to the public first….
Somebody needs to do the concussion protocol on Ngata
Umm 2006 Ravens….2008 Ravens….2009 Ravens…..2011 Ravens.
Did he hit his head this morning?
Trying to hype his new team. It’s cute.
Guys always tell their new girlfriend they’ve never had someone like her.
Yeah, as in ‘I’ve never played on defense with no future hall of famers or pro-bowlers’
That ’06 Ravens defense was one of the best ever and you were a part of it, Haloti. I guarantee the same will not be said about the 2015 Lions defense.
He’s definitely seen a QB like Detroit’s before. Stafford is the Joe Flacco of the NFC.
Ngata you’re a great player but come on now. Ansah is really the only other stud up front. If the Lions had Suh or Fairley to play next to him then maybe I’d buy it but I’m sorry, id be shocked if that Detroit D was top-5 again this year. I’d take almost all those Baltimore defenses over what the Lions currently have.
Well, they had the second-rated defense last year behind Seattle. They lost Suh but let’s face it–Ngata’s pretty good, too. It’s unlikely they could do better than Seattle’s defense but they could do quite well.
Well, he’s not wrong…in that he hasn’t ever been part of that defense before.
But to have played on a team with Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Bart Scott, Terrell Suggs, Jarrett Johnson Kelly Gregg, Dwan Edwards, Jim Leonhard in 2008,
on a team with Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Corey Redding, Terrell Suggs, Dannell Ellerbe, Jameel McClain, Bernard Pollard…
on a team with Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Paul Kruger, Bernard Pollard, Terrell Suggs, Pernell McPhee, Art Jones, Jimmy Smith, Lardarius Webb…
The old spurned girlfriend routine…… Pretty sad.
Ngata is a beast though and I think he has a couple years left in the tank.
Geezuz, how can you respect a guy when he says something this absurd?
Sour grapes.
Detroit was willing to pay your contract and Baltimore decided to pass and trade your juicing self before you lost value. In all it was a win win for both.
Not a Ravens fan…but I RESPECTED the hell out of their Defenses!!! That being said, this dude is TALKING CRAZY!!!
In 2006 Ngata played with:
NT: Kelly Gregg
LCB: Chris McCallister
RCB: Samari Rolle
DE: Trevor Pryce
FS: Ed Reed
DE: Terrell Suggs
LB: Bart Scott
LB: Adalius Thomas
LB: Ray Lewis
LB: Jarrett Johnson
SS: Dawan Landry
Including the playoffs, they allowed more than 20 points just 4 times, and more than 25 points once. If this Detroit defense is better, it’ll catch everyone off guard.
I think the lions will still have a pretty stout defense. Mabye not as good as last year, but still top 10. Mabye 5. Ngata is a beast and has way more experience than Suh annnnnnnd..knows what it takes to win. He has veteran leadership and like Suh, can play all over that line.
Funny how all I’ve heard in the past on PFT is about how overrated Suh was and now that he’s left the Lions, that’s the reason everyone gives for as why the Lions D will not be any good. Make up your minds haters…..
Yep …Without Suh they are much better….Sure they are.
Well, if he really loves his “old girlfriend” he’d be trying to get back with her, wouldn’t he?
Let’s see if he tries to do that in 2016, otherwise I think he found a new love. Sorry Ravens.
silentraven7 says:
Jul 8, 2015 7:23 PM
In 2006 Ngata played with: . . .
If this Detroit defense is better, it’ll catch everyone off guard.”
The 2006 Raven lost to the Colts in their first game of the playoffs.
Playing in a different system with different responsibilities… Is something I can see him excelling in.
Buffalo’s defense is way better than the Lions…. And The Baltimore defense that you were on was much better too!
Lions defense led by Austin will be a force once again. Suh is a great player; however, Austin got this defense to play as a collective unit. They’ll be top 5 this upcoming season.
Wow, he can really kiss butt.
hyperbole runs rampant this time of year.
Haloti is right we’re kinda a big deal.
They got their coach, d coordinator, and d tackle from the ravens.
Somebody has an inferiority complex.
Ravens junior.
Trying to hype his teammates up so you really can’t fault him. My money says he plays less than 8 games and is back in Bmore next year to finish his career.
Was that light shade at Lions?
LOL! Ngata was only as good as the Ravens around him. Without Suh, Failey and Mosley the Lions are going to be a limp biscuit up the middle. Ansah will be double-teamed and cancelled out. Sounds like a rediculious sound-bite. In fact, I thought the Ravens D performed even better when Ngata was out last year. No doubt he is a good player and when the Lions lost out on Suh this was a good signing, but no way are they improved.
This is the same D that got beat by Kyle Orton last year…. Kyle Orton. They are not very good.
Actually, the year the Ravens won the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, their defense wasn’t very good – Flacco and the offense won that Super Bowl. The 49ers put up over 500 yards in the Super Bowl, and they didn’t exactly shut down the Broncos in their playoff game.
Yes, Lewis and Reed were great players in their prime, but both were well past their prime during that SB run and it showed.
With all that being said, Ngata’s comments did raise an eyebrow or two. It was surprising to me that he would say that. When the upcoming season ends, we can determine if he was right or not.
Well, all the sudden, it’s good to see him out of Baltimore. Playing with three hall of famers, possibly four, and he says this? Eat crow guy!
He’s a professional. We won’t know what he really thinks until next offseason when contract time begins.
Did anyone read it? He said he’s never been on a defense like this then threw out some compliments. Never said one was better than the other.
Sounds like a player looking for a contract.
That bad?
It’s hilarious how the Raven fans list all these “great players” from previous seasons – the only problem is that nobody outside of Baltimore has ever heard of most of them. Just because you are fan of the local team doesn’t mean your players are great.
Corey Redding came from Detroit, where he couldn’t even make it on to the field, yet you hold him up as one of your “great players”. Take off your blinders and see your talent for what it really is.
Detroit’s D will be highly rated again this year, even without Suh. The D coordinator is a stud and will have the D line playing very well again this year. You may not have heard of most of them because Suh grabbed most of the attention, but he didn’t do it alone last year. I predict Suh will regret leaving this system, although his paycheck will make up for that dissapointment…
Wow he just makes me scream that I want to buy that vacation condo he is selling. He says it with a straight face too.
LIAR!!
I’d like to rip him for this, but… Levy is the most underrated LB in football, Tulloch is back at MLB, and he’s solid, Whitehead played over his head at the MLB and now gets his normal Strong side spot back, Ansah grows by leaps and bounds every season, at every level he’s played (all of six years!), the starting safeties and corners according to pro football focus were all elite, and Ngata has never gotten to play attack football, his job was to eat lineman and allow the scheme to make plays… That leaves Jason Jones at end (meh) and whomever lines up next to Ngata to worry about…
if I’m Haloti, I’m pretty excited getting to rush the passer in Detroit with nothing but guys who played excellently last season behind me without having to just eat up as many lineman as I could each play…
The Lions got jobbed last year by Dallas, with the offense being the issue, and honestly, tell me the last time the second year of a coaching scheme took step back with a talented squad?
Oh, and… DETROIT VS. EVERYBODY
VERSUS EVERYBODY!
The 2006 Raven lost to the Colts in their first game of the playoffs.
****************
yeah they lost to the eventual champs without giving up a touchdown
What do you expect him to say??? That this defense sucks??? He says what any other player would say, and everybody is shocked he would say such a thing!! SMH!
Stop it Big fella just stop the nonsense!
Win a SuperBowl with Detroit, then run your mouth.
I mean in terms of pure athletes he has a pretty good point, Doom and Suggs are beasts as far as pass rushers but the Lions have been stockpiling mammoth 6’5″+ guys to play DE in recent years I’m sure the look is imposing.
Lions defense was awesome last year I wouldn’t count them out to be something special again this year.
See what he says after they cut him next Spring.
As a Raven fan, I’ll be glad to say he’ll be back next year. Lol
Someone needs to drug test this dude..
As far as that Lions fan talking about the 2006 loss to the Colts…the Ravens D gave up ZERO TDs in that game (final score: 15-6…all FGs). It certainly wasn’t the D’s fault the Ravens lost that game, that’s for sure.
Another example of a player who should just shut up and play.
Getting rid of Suh = addition by subtraction.
A well respected principal in corporate management.
well at least he is a team player….he is lying but he is a team guy for sure.
“It’s hilarious how the Raven fans list all these “great players” from previous seasons – the only problem is that nobody outside of Baltimore has ever heard of most of them. Just because you are fan of the local team doesn’t mean your players are great.”
______________________________________
What is hilarious is that Lions had a descent season last year for the first time in 30 years and you think you can even speak, let alone argue with Raven’s. The Raven’s have 2 Superbowls in the past 15 years and have had one of the best and most consistent defenses for that time span. Check yourself, the Lions still have a lot to prove and are heavily overrated and will NOT repeat last season’s success without Suh. Don’t cry when it’s November and your team is barely .500.
poorcalvinisstuckonthecrappylions says:
Jul 9, 2015 1:17 PM
Check yourself, the Lions still have a lot to prove and are heavily overrated and will NOT repeat last season’s success without Suh.
——————————————
Must be a Vikings fan or a Packer fan. So defensive … so bitter. And not especially knowledgeable. The key to the Lions defense wasn’t and isn’t Suh. It’s DC Teryl Austin. Everyone in Detroit knows that.
But yes, I agree that our team has a lot to prove. Every player on our team agrees with that. By all accounts, players have worked hard in the offseason. The local reporters, who tend to call things honestly, are saying guys look (physically) like they put in serious work during the off season.
This time of year all the flowers smell sweet. Everyone’s team is awesome. But I have confidence in what the Lions are bringing in the fall.
Other than that, I’ll believe Ngata is excited to be a Lion if/when he signs a contract extension.
Man…Lions fans are desperate. And weak.
What’s he supposed to say? It’s OK. But, the Lions D will not be as good without Suh. The Ravens D will be fine.
Yes, he was on some great Defenses with the Rsvens. However, they were great because, in a large part, due to him. Now he’s a Lion. Quit crying in your beer!
Well ngata has never played with a D Line like the one hes going to play with now, yea they lost suh and fairley suh they’ll miss fairley total under acheiver Reid is a real stud so fairley who.they will miss Mosley more than fairley.lions linebacker corp is better than last year and their back ups can start on any other team in the league the rush defense might drop off a bit but not much.and now that suh isnt there the unsportsmanship penalties and personal fouls will save them 30 to 50 yards per game.
What gets me is that these ravens fans are in such denial that their team is sinking to the bottom of the division because they gave flacco a monstrous contract that they cant afford all their good players are jumping from a sinking ship faster than rats would and they’re lashing out anyway they can
tigerlilac says:
Jul 8, 2015 8:15 PM
The 2006 Raven lost to the Colts in their first game of the playoffs
———-
Yes…15-6, against Peyton Manning, in his prime. In that game, Peyton Manning was 15/30 for 170 yards, 0 TDS, 2 INTs….that Colts team gained all of 261 yards that day.
For the season, the Colts averaged 26.7 PPG and 379.4 yards per game.
Good thing your sharp critical thinking proved me wrong!
One great football player for another. Except one is a lot cheaper. And knows the system. The typical rants every year are getting old. Lions are still SB contenders and so are the Ravens.
The Lions have never been Super Bowl contenders.
badscene322 says:
Jul 8, 2015 6:45 PM
Are we really expected to believe that he’s never been apart of a more talented defense after winning a Super Bowl with Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs and company? Yet the Suh-less Lions Defense is more talented? C’MON MAN.
—-
Despite the overwhelming support for your comment from the brainless PFT commenters, I cannot seem to find any quote where he suggests this defense is more talented..?
If I had to bet, and I placed all my odds on ozzies track record….Ngata will either suck, or he will be in the training room, the lions will be on the couch and watching the ravens in January and February vs their rival GreenBay Packers. Where Ngata will watch as he misses out on ring….número….two
This is laughable. Just about every different version of the Ravens’ defense Ngata has played with in the NFL is better than the 2015 Lions. He must think Suh is still there.