CORUNNA -- The Detroit Lions have talked at length this offseason about how they want to implement a defense that will create more turnovers.

That ethos will translate to the defensive backfield as well.

New coordinator Teryl Austin is retooling the way Detroit's defensive backs play. That means looking more at the quarterback than they have in the past, and taking more chances to generate takeaways.

"He's just making us more comfortable to make plays," Bill Bentley, the Lions' primary nickel back, told MLive this week. "Watching the quarterback more, take more chances and create more turnovers. That's how you win, man."

The Lions secondary wasn't very good last year, ranking 23rd against the pass, and drew some heat early in the season for looking too much at the receivers, and not enough for the ball.

That included a bit of ridicule from Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer, who said after a Week 2 win against Detroit that "those DBs play the receiver. They don't play the ball. When we have opportunities and they were staring at the receiver, they're going to faceguard."

Then-Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham issued a vigorous rejoinder.

"Last I checked, when you play man-to-man, you play through the man. If you see the ball, you're going to get beat," Cunningham said.

Now it appears the Lions will be looking for the ball a lot more -- in an effort to intercept it.

Austin is a longtime NFL defensive backs coach, first with the Seahawks (2003-06) and Cardinals (2007-09), and most recently the Baltimore Ravens (2011-13). He's now entering his first NFL coordinating job with the Lions.

And what he wants is a more aggressive brand of defense that can generate more turnovers. Detroit forced just 22 last year. Only Atlanta, Minnesota and New Orleans were worse in the NFC.

Detroit was minus-12 overall in turnover margin, which was second-to-last in the NFC. There wasn't a team in either conference that made the playoffs with a margin worse than minus-4.

The Lions' corners were particularly bad on this front, intercepting just two passes, both by Chris Houston. And that won't fly for Austin, who will demand more risk taking and aggressiveness.

"I know with my guys (in Baltimore), in the secondary in particular, the way we did it was if a receiver catches a ball we always go for the strip," Austin said earlier this offseason. "If a running back comes through, we're always trying to poke the ball out. If the ball is in the air, if we have an opportunity to intercept without a collision and hurting our own player, we always try to make the catch.

"We don't like to go for pass breakups in practice. Go for the interception now so you learn how to do it, and when you get in the game, it's not the first time you've tried it."

Bentley said he sensed the difference last month during the Lions' voluntary minicamp. And the defensive backs have had no problem buying into the philosophical change.

"His scheme has been successful in this league, and all through his life," Bentley said. "So he's just brought the attitude, the swagger, the confidence -- and the techniques more than anything."