pressure up front and we’re not tight enough in coverage, you’re going to have problems.”The Lions scored on seven of nine possessions. They punted once and ran out the clock once.And they sustained drives

The Lions were thrilled when they drafted Tracy Walker. They may be even more excited now." Detroit Lions QuotesDetroit Lions AnalysisTracy Walker has a more expansive skill set than the Detroit Lions thoughtNew Michael Roberts Jersey ,46commentsThe Lions were thrilled when they drafted Tracy Walker. They may be even more excited now. EDTTracy Walker impressed a lot of analysts in 2018. The Lions were thrilled when they drafted him. Pro Football Focus had him as one of the highest-graded safeties despite his limited snap count. The Detroit Lions decided to move on from Glover Quin this offseason, an undoubtable vote of confidence in the young safety. And it turns out the Lions coaching staff got even more out of Walker last season than they expected. “I think Tracy last year—and certainly, last year is last year—but I think he showed us a lot of growth through the year,” Lions head coach Matt Patricia said on Wednesday. “He showed us the skill set that he had was probably a little bit more expansive than maybe what we originally thought when we looked at him on film coming out of college.”Coming out of a school like Louisiana, Walker was asked to do just about everything. He played deep safety, he plays slot corner, he played linebacker. Hell, he even took some snaps on the edge. But it’s one thing to see them on tape. It’s another to see it on the field at an NFL level, and that’s what the Lions got last year. “We thought we saw some things that potentially he could do and then to be able to see that live out on the field when he got here kind of reconfirmed some things that we may be able to do with him, which was always good,” Patricia said. Many assume Walker is simply going to take over Glover Quin’s spot as the deep safety in most scenarios. However Travis Fulgham Detroit Lions Jersey , Walker’s arsenal of skills is much more varied than that. His size gives the Lions an option as a nickel corner who can defend tight ends one-on-one. His strong play style and solid tackling make him a candidate for the strong safety (or “joker”) role. And his instincts and speed make him a valuable asset on the deep end of the defense. Although he played the majority of his snaps as the deep safety in 2018, Patricia warned that last season the circumstances were different and 2019 is another year. “That was really kind of last year and last year’s fit from an overall defensive scheme and perspective and personnel,” Patricia said. “This year is different. Everybody’s back out there. The team has changed, the defense has changed, and the personnel has changed. He’s out there competing with everybody right now and trying to build on what he did last year, but I think certainly in the NFL, every team starts over every year.” One addition is third-round pick Will Harris. Like Walker, Harris is a tall, physical defensive back. He measures almost identical to Walker. Harris is 6-foot-1, 207 pounds. Walker is 6-foot-1, 206 pounds. Throw in Quandre Diggs Travis Fulgham Jersey 2019 , who has already displayed his versatility as a nickel corner, deep safety and strong safety, and the Lions have three interchangeable parts that will give Detroit multiple looks week by week. The Miami Dolphins‘ run defense is stuck in reverse, perhaps taking the season with it.Poor tackling, botched assignments and a manhandling up front doomed the Dolphins on Sunday, when the Detroit Lions ran for 248 yards to win 32-21.It was Detroit’s biggest total in 21 years, and the second bad game in a row for the Dolphins’ run defense. They allowed 164 yards rushing a week earlier but still somehow managed to beat the Chicago Bears in overtime.“We have a lot of work to do,” defensive end Cameron Wake said. “I’m not panicking yet.”More Miami Dolphins newsDolphins sign hometown WR Allen Hurns to 1-year contractNew Dolphins coach Brian Flores has his own daily workout at training campDolphins assistant coach Jim Caldwell takes leave of absence to address health issuesTwo-time Pro Bowl safety Reshad Jones rejoins Dolphins after skipping voluntary practicesDolphins QBs Josh Rosen, Ryan Fitzpatrick embrace battle for No. 1 jobLions rookie Kerryon Johnson rushed for 158 yards on 19 carries, including a 71-yard draw play where he was untouched until tackled. LeGarrette Blount added 50 yards on 10 carries, and both repeatedly broke tackles as the Lions averaged 7.1 per rush.“Johnson Taylor Decker Jersey , LeGarrette, they’re big backs,” Miami defensive tackle Akeem Spence said. “With those guys, you have to tackle in committee. One guy can’t bring them down. You need two, three guys. That’s on the defense. We just have to be better.”With the loss, the Dolphins (4-3) fell out of first place in the AFC East. Linebacker Raekwon McMillan acknowledged they played on their heels.“We fell back on our attack-type mentality,” he said.That meant the front seven was dominated, with the line surge so tepid Miami had not one tackle for a loss.The issue extended beyond running plays. Matt Stafford had plenty of time to throw and went 18 for 22 for 217 yards and two scores, with just one sack.“We couldn’t stop them,” Miami coach Adam Gase said. “That’s just what it was. They were executing better than us, and we just didn’t do enough to affect the quarterback. It didn’t seem like he got out of rhythm.“That was really the No. 1 thing we were talking about all week. That guy Graham Glasgow Jersey , if you give him time and he doesn’t feel the pressure up front and we’re not tight enough in coverage, you’re going to have problems.”The Lions scored on seven of nine possessions. They punted once and ran out the clock once.And they sustained drives while converting only twice on third down. The Lions gobbled up yards in such large chunks they earned 21 first downs on first- and second-down plays.“I’m pretty sure there weren’t too many third-and-longs out there,” Wake said.Miami’s performance was reminiscent of a loss last November at Carolina, when the Panthers racked up 294 yards rushing. The Dolphins won only two more games the rest of the season.In this instance, solutions need to come quickly. The Dolphins play Thursday at the Houston Texans (4-3), who earned their fourth consecutive victory Sunday by winning at Jacksonville.“Usually I say you’ve got about 24 hours to pat yourself on the back or lick your wounds,” Wake said. “Now you’ve got about 30 minutes.”