Tag: Arthur Maulet

Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard had inexperienced defensive backs ready to challenge Bucs

ALLEN PARK — When linebacker Derrick Barnes was handed a game ball in the locker room after the win over Tampa Bay, he tossed it to Kelvin Sheppard, the defensive coordinator. 

The defense excelled in the 24-9 victory even though they were without most of the starting secondary. Inexperienced defensive backs stepped in big time. They were prepared.

“Guys responded, which we knew they would. The defense played lights out,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “Give a lot of credit to Kelvin Sheppard. The plan to go against these guys, knowing what we were about to face.”

It was Sheppard who created a plan to go against quarterback Baker Mayfield who had been mentioned as a candidate for NFL MVP — until Monday night.

“Great plan. Hell of a coach. Even though he’s young, we believe in him,’’ cornerback Amik Robertson said. “We believe in him to put us in the right position and that’s what I feel like he did tonight. And he had no doubt in us. He had no doubt in us.”

Sheppard, 37, in his first season as defensive coordinator has made the transition from Aaron Glenn seamless.

“Listen, I just think Shepp has gotten better and better and better. I think he’s gotten more and more comfortable as he’s gone. I feel like he’s got a really good feel of our personnel, what the opponent is trying to do,’’ Campbell said nothing that he’s got a really good staff with him.

Campbell hired Sheppard as outside linebackers coach in 2020 as part of his inaugural coaching team. He coached the linebackers from 2022 to 2024 so was familiar with many of the players.

The LSU product played cornerback for multiple NFL teams including the Lions in 2018. 

‘(Sheppard) knows how to communicate, he understands how to really give them the picture of what we are looking at,’’ Campbell said. “I am really proud of him, but I’m not shocked either. This is what I expected out of Kelvin Sheppard, man. This isn’t surprising. It’s a really good job.”

Campbell mentioned defensive backs CB Arthur Maulet, S Erick Hallett, S Thomas Harper, Nick Whiteside, CB Amik Robertson, CB Rock Ya-Sin, S Loren Strickland, and CB Tre Flowers. 

“None of those guys blinked,’’ Campbell said.

Along with Sheppard, Campbell praised defensive assistant/safeties Jim O’Neil and passing game coordinator/defensive backs Deshea Townsend.

“They had those guys ready to go, and I think they competed, they challenged,’’ Campbell said.

UP NEXT: It’s the Lions bye week. Next game on Sunday, Nov. 2 at Ford Field against the Minnesota Vikings.

Detroit Lions’ defense comes up huge in 24-9 win over Tampa Bay Bucs

DETROIT — “Next man up” is not an empty phrase for Lions coach Dan Campbell. He’s serious and his defense proved him right in a 24-9 win over Tampa Bay on Monday night at Ford Field.

Missing key starters in the secondary, Detroit’s defense, including the pieced-together secondary, stifled Bucs’ quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Bucs (5-2) averaged 27.5 points per game and the Lions held them to just nine.

“I knew we were going to challenge more, do more than what we did last week. I did feel good about that,’’ Campbell said. “That’s a good quarterback over there, we knew (WR Mike) Evans was coming back.’’

The coach had confidence in his guys but didn’t think they could hold the Bucs’e offensive output so well.

Tampa Bay had no answer for running back Jahmyr Gibbs who had 218 scrimmage yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns.

The Lions’ resiliency showed again. Coming off a disappointing loss at Kansas City, Detroit was not going to lose two in a row. And they didn’t. The Lions (5-2) haven’t lost back-to-back games in three years.

“Listen, we’ve got a special group of coaches and players, they’re competitive, they want to win, they’re able to really focus on what needs to be fixed,’’ Campbell said. “What cost us the loss the week before and simply keep in that compartment. Don’t make more of it then needs be, don’t lose confidence, just fix it.’’

And they did.

Five of the reasons the Lions won:

ONE: Jahmyr Gibbs made the most of every touch and he had plenty. Gibbs scored two rushing touchdowns, carried 17 times for 136 yards and caught three passes for 82 yards. “You felt like this has been building. As he gets in better shape, and starts getting his feet under him, starts getting the feel of it, starts breaking some tackles,’’ Campbell said. “Every week it’s gotten closer and closer, tonight was the night he busted one out of there, there will be no looking back.’’Gibbs became the 10th player in NFL history to produce a game with at least 135 rushing yards, 80 receiving yards and two rushing TDs. The last player to do so was Chris Johnson in 2009. Gibbs reached those totals with 4:39 left in the third quarter. Let that soak in. And he is the 8th NFL player since at least 1960 to produce 100-plus rushing yards, a rushing TD and 50-plus receiving yards in the first half of a game.

TWO: Alim McNeill is back. Man, is he back. The defensive tackle, who had not played for 10 months after knee surgery, makes everyone around him better and it was evident from the get-go. He tipped a Baker Mayfield pass at the line of scrimmage on a key third-and-3 play early in the second quarter, forcing a punt. “You could feel his presence early,’’ said Campbell, noting that he’s not yet in great football shape.

THREE: The Lions’ secondary was missing most of its starters but the others stepped up big time. It was almost like they got tired of hearing about the “depleted” secondary and decided to make a statement. “That’s what’s expected here,’’ Campbell said. “I’ve said before you get in there you don’t have to be perfect, you challenge and you compete and we will help you, the guys around will help you and we’ll play with three units. I love the fact that the game didn’t feel too big for some of those guys.’’ Rock Ya-Sin started at corner and had two pass defenses and four tackles. CB Arthur Maulet intercepted Mayfield late in the second on a play that was called on a review. It was Maulet’s second appearance in a game for the Lions. Veteran Amik Robertson’s stellar play with a forced fumble and pass defended was no surprise. CB NIck Whiteside had three passes defended including two on back-to-back pass attempts in the end zone. 

FOUR: It was not Jared Goff’s best game but he came through when needed and he had plenty of help from Gibbs and the Lions defense. “Offensively there’s certainly things we know can be done better and we’ll need to do better, but at the end of the day when we needed points we found points,’’ Campbell said. Still, Goff completed 20 of 29 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown (to Amon-Ra St. Brown) and one interception.

FIVE:  Tampa Bay’s defense was not stout enough. They came in with the NFL’s fifth best rushing defense allowing just 88.2 rushing yards per game. The Lions rushed for nearly double that – 164. They could not stop Detroit’s run. In fact, they just couldn’t put up much of a fight. 

UP NEXT: It’s the Lions bye week. Next game on Sunday, Nov, 2 at Ford Field against the Minnesota Vikings.