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Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin continues to put his players in the best position to succeed.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

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The Detroit Lions defense continues to hum along.

Following the team's 20-16 win against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Detroit continues to rank first in total defense, first in scoring defense and is top-three against the pass and the run.

Clearly without good players making plays, none of this is possible. Ndamukong Suh, Ezekiel Ansah, DeAndre Levy and James Ihedigbo all had monster performances against the Dolphins.

But coordinator Teryl Austin (and the rest of the defensive staff), also deserve credit for putting those players in the best position to succeed.

One of the more noticeable differences this season is the complexity of pre-snap alignments at the line of scrimmage and the mismatches they create for the Lions.

Let's take a quick look at three examples against Miami, including my favorite, from the first quarter.

After putting the Dolphins behind the sticks by blowing up a reverse on first down, Miami is faced with a third-and-12. Knowing a run is unlikely, the Lions put just five in the box and spread the front, bunching Suh and Ansah wide to the left side.

You can only imagine what the right tackle is thinking.

On the snap, both crash down inside, but as the right tackle engages Suh, Ansah twists behind the All-Pro defensive tackle and has a free lane to Tannehill since the running back runs a route instead of staying back to help in protection.

The result, a sack and loss of 11 yards.

On a third-and-8 play in the second quarter, the Lions executed a nice blitz, bringing two linebackers and dropping defensive end George Johnson (far left in four-point stance below) into coverage.

Pre-snap, the Lions line up with four on the line and walk up linebacker DeAndre Levy (54) between Ansah and Jason Jones, rushing from right defensive tackle spot. Levy blitzes and is picked up by the left guard, while Jones smashes the center's left shoulder, clearing a free path for Tahir Whitehead up the gut.

The coverage didn't hold up on the play as wide receiver Jarvis Landry was able to shake Cassius Vaughn and haul in a quick slant for 12 yards from the left slot. Whitehead was also flagged for a 15-yard infraction for a blow to Tannehill's neck. Still, the effectiveness of the rush's design was clear.

Later in that same drive, third-and-7 just inside the red zone, the Lions put six defenders on the line of scrimmage. On the snap, both the linebackers bailed into coverage, but the alignment caused enough confusion for Miami up front to allow defensive end George Johnson to come free off the left edge.

Miami's play was designed to get the ball out quick, but there's little question Johnson gave Tannehill no time to second-guess his decision. The pass, intended for tight end Harold Hoskins, was jumped by safety James Ihedigbo, who returned the interception 70 yards.

These are just three small examples in a season full of them. The Lions give opponents so many different looks up front and the linemen have been outstanding in their execution. It's a big part of the reason the team ranks first in yards per carry allowed and is top-10 in sacks.

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