Detroit Lions hit Bucs QB Josh McCown so hard, they felt sorry for him

DETROIT -- How badly did the Detroit Lions beat up Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown?

They were actually feeling sorry for the guy after a 34-17 win at Ford Field.

"I felt sorry for him," defensive end George Johnson said. "We beat him up pretty good."

Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah did the most damage, hitting McCown four times and sacking him once. Star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh certainly did his part too, with three hits and one sack.

"Those are the guys you have to be concerned with," coach Jim Caldwell said, "and you'd better find different ways to block them because you get one, and the other guy's loose."

Johnson and Andre Fluellen added one sack apiece. Even linebacker DeAndre Levy, who entered the game with 1.5 career sacks, dropped McCown twice.

Add it all up, and Detroit sacked McCown six times, plus hit him 14 times.

The Lions' defensive line has been among the league's best, but this was their most dominant effort since sacking Minnesota's Teddy Bridgewater eight times in October.

Bridgewater will be at Ford Field next week, as it happens, and might feel a little queasy watching film of McCown get battered more times than he could count.

"I don't know,' McCown said, when asked if this was the most he'd ever been hit. "I have to look at the tape and see, but I don't know."

Even McCown's receiver felt bad for him.

"I'm going to take him out for a nice dinner when we're all (done) here this year," Vincent Jackson said. "Maybe help him get some ice bags and have them sent to his house."

Detroit's defense was so successful against the pass in part because they knew it was coming. Tampa Bay, just like every other team the Lions face, simply could not run the ball.

The Bucs attempted just 14 runs for 26 yards. That's one week after the Bears attempted just eight runs for 13 yards.

Detroit is the first team since 2006 to allowed fewer than 40 yards rushing in back-to-back games, and could become the first team since 2006 to allow fewer than 1,000 yards in a season.

The Lions are on pace to allow 1,004 rushing yards this year.

"It seemed like we got off schedule so much that we were pulled out of the run game," McCown said. "That's what happens when we get behind the sticks. You can't get your runs up."

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Source: http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2014/12/detroit_lions_hit_bucs_qb_josh.html