Back in Week 6, the Detroit Lions had a standout player who was on the verge of making history. Aidan Hutchinson was playing at an elite level, one that had him positioned to potentially break records and secure the coveted Defensive Player of the Year award. His performance was nothing short of extraordinary. In just six games, Hutchinson had racked up 45 pressures and an impressive seven sacks, leading the league in that category. But in a cruel twist of fate, on his seventh sack, Hutchinson suffered a leg injury, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Now, the Lions are left holding their breath, hoping for his swift recovery and return to the field.

The big question for the Lions now is how their pass rush will fare without Hutchinson’s presence, and how effective they’ll be when it matters most—during the playoffs. This question becomes even more critical when you consider the analysis of ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who recently highlighted a significant concern for the Lions as a Super Bowl contender: their ability to effectively rush the passer.

According to Barnwell, the Lions have become one of the most aggressive teams in the league when it comes to blitzing the quarterback. In fact, they now blitz on 41% of their defensive snaps, the highest rate in the entire NFL. While this strategy has had some success, Barnwell points out the key issue with this approach: the Lions have managed to maintain a league-average pressure rate, which is impressive given their injury woes. They are currently missing four potential starters on the defensive line, including key players like John Cominsky and Alim McNeill. However, the pressure they generate hasn’t been as refined as it would be with their full roster, and the numbers reflect this. Since Week 7, the Lions have converted just 15.1% of their pressures into sacks, the lowest rate in the league.

This drop in sack production is certainly a problem, but it’s also a reminder of something Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell said during the offseason about pressures and sacks. In late May, Campbell downplayed the importance of sacks, emphasizing that as long as the defense is generating consistent pressure on the quarterback, that’s what truly matters.

“Sacks aren’t that big of a deal as long as you’re getting the pressures,” Campbell stated. “As long as you’re getting pressures, and those pressures show up and affect the quarterback negatively. Now, would you rather have sacks? Absolutely, I’d rather have sacks. The loss of yardage, all of those things, but the pressures… a pressure that affects the quarterback… We watched a couple clips this morning in front of the team, the quarterback is wanting to step up, he can’t step up, the throw is high. He’s flipping to his right, and he can’t get his hips around. Throw a pick. These things that end up in negative plays as incompletions, as turnovers, whatever, I’ll take those all day long.”

While the Lions may not be accumulating sacks at the same rate they were earlier in the season, they are still consistently bringing pressure to opposing quarterbacks. Barnwell’s article, which analyzed the top Super Bowl contenders, listed the Lions as one of the most effective teams at generating pressure in recent weeks. Over the past four weeks (Weeks 13-16), the Lions have registered 124 pressures, second only to the Philadelphia Eagles with 153. To put this in perspective, here’s how the pressure stats from the top seven teams in Barnwell’s article stack up:

Despite Hutchinson’s absence, the Lions’ defense continues to apply consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Even in their recent victory over the Chicago Bears, the Lions pressured rookie quarterback Caleb Williams 20 times. While that might not seem like a high number, it’s worth noting that Hutchinson himself was responsible for a significant portion of the Lions’ pressures earlier in the season. His 45 pressures in the first six weeks alone ranked him 35th in the league, and he hasn’t played since Week 6.

As Campbell mentioned, while sacks are desirable, pressuring the quarterback and forcing them into uncomfortable situations is just as effective in disrupting an offense. The Lions have registered 12 sacks during this span, which is the second-lowest total of the seven teams Barnwell analyzed, just behind the Chiefs (13). The Bills, in comparison, have only managed nine sacks during this period.

If the Lions can’t consistently convert their pressures into sacks, the key will be to keep applying that pressure and forcing quarterbacks to make mistakes. By continuing to disrupt the pocket, they can force quarterbacks into errant throws, resulting in incomplete passes or turnovers—just as Campbell hopes for. While the Lions may face challenges in their quest for a deep playoff run, the relentless pressure they bring could be the x-factor that leads to success in the postseason.