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Lions DC Teryl Austin is 1 of 4 Coordinator's to make a big impact with a new team, as he is the only DC of the four. Min-OC Norv Turner, Mia-OC Bill Lazor and Cincy-OC Hue Jackson are the other 3 being recognized through the 1st quarter of games played.
With head-coaching changes often come coordinator changes, as a total of 22 new coordinators were hired this past offseason. The impact of coordinators can be driven by new personnel, a new scheme or -- in some cases -- simply a new personality overseeing similar personnel and running familiar concepts. On occasion, a change in voice is precisely what a team needs, much more so than an overhaul of players or a new X's-and-O's approach.
With most teams at the quarter mark of the NFL's regular season, here's a look at a handful of coordinator changes that have made a substantial impact early on.
Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin
From a statistical standpoint, Austin's early impact matches any other coordinator change in the NFL. The Lions rank first in the NFL in total defense through four games, allowing 79.3 fewer yards per game and just 15.0 points per game, down from 23.5 per game last season. Detroit has significant investments and an abundance of talent in its front seven, but the secondary was an area of concern entering the season.
What stands out in watching Detroit this year -- and this particularly crystallized against the potent Packers in Week 3 -- is Austin's willingness to put his secondary in a comfortable spot by relying on just four pass-rushers. The Lions played Green Bay with an abundance of two-deep safety looks, mitigating the pressure on their cornerbacks in coverage against the Packers' talented receiver duo of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Safety help worked to build an umbrella over Nelson, an excellent deep threat.
So far the Lions have blitzed on just 25.7 percent of opposing teams' dropbacks, per ESPN Stats & Info, which ranks 20th in the league. Austin is finding ways to wisely insulate his secondary through his schemes.
With head-coaching changes often come coordinator changes, as a total of 22 new coordinators were hired this past offseason. The impact of coordinators can be driven by new personnel, a new scheme or -- in some cases -- simply a new personality overseeing similar personnel and running familiar concepts. On occasion, a change in voice is precisely what a team needs, much more so than an overhaul of players or a new X's-and-O's approach.
With most teams at the quarter mark of the NFL's regular season, here's a look at a handful of coordinator changes that have made a substantial impact early on.
Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin
From a statistical standpoint, Austin's early impact matches any other coordinator change in the NFL. The Lions rank first in the NFL in total defense through four games, allowing 79.3 fewer yards per game and just 15.0 points per game, down from 23.5 per game last season. Detroit has significant investments and an abundance of talent in its front seven, but the secondary was an area of concern entering the season.
What stands out in watching Detroit this year -- and this particularly crystallized against the potent Packers in Week 3 -- is Austin's willingness to put his secondary in a comfortable spot by relying on just four pass-rushers. The Lions played Green Bay with an abundance of two-deep safety looks, mitigating the pressure on their cornerbacks in coverage against the Packers' talented receiver duo of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Safety help worked to build an umbrella over Nelson, an excellent deep threat.
So far the Lions have blitzed on just 25.7 percent of opposing teams' dropbacks, per ESPN Stats & Info, which ranks 20th in the league. Austin is finding ways to wisely insulate his secondary through his schemes.
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