The Detroit Lions are the only team in the NFL that hasn’t allowed a sack yet, which is very good news for Matthew Stafford, the franchise quarterback who has had trouble staying healthy in his first two NFL seasons.
But just because Stafford has been upright, that doesn’t necessarily mean all is well on the Lions’ offensive line.
In fact, although few people noticed it because the Lions abused the Chiefs 48-3, Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali abused Lions left tackle Jeff Backus on Sunday. Hali hit Stafford just as Stafford was passing six times, and former NFL offensive lineman Mark Schlereth said on ESPN’s NFL Live today that he saw major problems with Backus when breaking down the tape of Sunday’s game.
“Don’t let stats get in the way of facts -- don’t let them get in the way of your eyeballs,” Schlereth said. “There still are some concerns with this team when it comes to pass protection, and I have concerns about their left tackle.”
Backus is recovering from a pectoral injury and left the game against the Chiefs with a finger injury, so he may not be 100 percent healthy. But with the Lions facing Jared Allen and the Vikings on Sunday, they need Backus to have a better game than he had against the Chiefs.