Tag: Detroit Lions

Lions Dan Campbell can’t put a value on DE Aidan Hutchinson

ALLEN PARK — In the Lions’ first five games, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson had proven two things: He has no rust after missing the final 12 games last season with a broken leg, and he is one of the best – if not the best – at his position.

Hutchinson leads the NFL in pressures (31) and is second in sacks (5) and forced fumbles (3).

Along with that, his consistency in the last four weeks (all wins) has been solid: Week 2 — 1 sack, 5 pressures; Week 3 — 1 sack, 9 pressures; Week 4 — 2 sacks, 7 pressures; and Week 5 — 1 sack, 8 pressures.

“I’ve really got a marathon view on this season and I’m taking it one week at a time and I’m putting every single preparation into every week and we see how the cards lay at the end of the week and we do it all over again,’’ Hutchinson said. 

Coach Dan Campbell said he doesn’t know if he can put a value on Hutchinson because he doesn’t know if there’s a big enough number.

“He’s extremely valuable. The number of things he’s able to do for us in the run and pass game, he pulls a lot of slack – you talk about pulling your weight he pulls his weight and then some,’’ Campbell said of the guy who is routinely double-covered if not more.

“He requires a lot of resources offensively which helps everybody else out,’’ Campbell said. “Guys like him, he’s in that rare world of  – you don’t get the easy way out. He’s got to beat the nudges, beat the back chip and the tackles on him or he’s got to beat the nudge, sometimes the back and the tackle and the slides coming to him with the guard – sometimes three,  sometimes four — but if that’s the case somebody else is winning, they’ve got to win.’’

The Lions (4-1) face the Chiefs (2-3) on Sunday night football on the road.

Two years ago in the season opener the Lions shocked the NFL world (but not themselves) by beating the Chiefs, 21-20. The Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl. 

Hutchinson had three quarterback hits and 4 tackles in that win. He’s a different player today – older, savvier and possibly more effective.

“What he does is not easy,’’ Campbell said. “I go back to this he’s a complete football player he does it all — he’s disruptive, he’s viral, he’s a big motor, he’s crafty, he’s explosive, he’s tough, he’s competitive  — he does it all.’’

Hutchinson is not alone, the defensive line has been solid and will be better with Alim McNeil returning in the next few weeks. 

INJURY UPDATE: CB Terrion Arnold’s second opinion on his shoulder was good news although Campbell still doesn’t know how long he’ll be out. It appears he will not need surgery. “The second opinion came back. It sounds like he could be promising, but that’s no guarantee either,’’ Campbell said. “We’re kind of in this wait-and-see, we’ll hold off a little bit and see where he goes.’’

ROSTER MOVES: OL Dan Skipper has been elevated from the practice squad. If LT Taylor Decker (shoulder) can’t play again Sunday, Skipper might get the call. Giovanni Manu started at left tackle in Cincinnati. … CB Khalil Dorsey has been placed on injured reserve.

Detroit Lions injuries mount with 4 of top 5 cornerbacks sidelined

ALLEN PARK — After just five games — four straight wins — injuries are mounting for the Lions, especially in the secondary with four of the top five cornerbacks out.

The latest is Terrion Arnold. Coach Dan Campbell said on Monday that he’ll be out for a long time with a shoulder injury. He did not know if his injury is season-ending.

Arnold started in Sunday’s 37-24 win at Cincinnati and finished with a tackle and two defended passes.

“I just thought he was very competitive, I thought he was calm, he was cool, and I thought this was one of the better games he’s played in a while,’’ Campbell said. “I thought he was really good. We put a lot on him and I thought he answered the bell.’’

Now he’s out along with corner D.J. Reed who is on injured reserve after a hamstring injury in Week 4.

Cornerback Khalil Dorsey showed up on the injury report last week with a wrist injury and did not play Sunday. He also will be out for a while.

In August the Lions lost CB Ennis Rakestraw for the season due to a shoulder injury.

Campbell compared it to the run of defensive injuries last season except then it was front-end guys, now it’s the secondary.

“The front end was last year — the D-line, we got hit at linebacker. Now we’re pretty good there now it’s on the back end,’’ Campbell said. “You tweak a couple things and the front has got to get there a little quicker and our DBs get up there to challenge and compete. We’ll adjust, we’ll adapt, we’ll move on.’’

Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin saw more action Sunday and likely will moving forward.

“I thought (Ya-Sin) did a good job yesterday. He did exactly what we asked him to do. The plan was good and he executed well in that plan,’’ Campbell said. “Here’s what you love about Rock, he plays fearless, he’s not afraid, he doesn’t care who he’s going against, he’s aggressive, he’ll challenge at the release points, he challenges at the catch point, he’ll run up, he’ll tackle, he’ll hit. That’s all you can ask for, that’s what we’re looking for.’’

Like coaches everywhere Campbell is all about the next man up. They practice that way, giving backups reps at their positions. No excuses, no head-hanging.

“This train doesn’t stop for anybody, it doesn’t matter who it is or what it is,’’ Campbell said. “We have to go, nobody cares, nobody is going to feel sorry for you. You put your best 22 out there – offense, defense and special teams. You’ve got to find a way to win the game. You use all three phases to do it and we will use all three phases to do it.’’

NEXT UP: Lions (4-1) at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12)

Lions QB Jared Goff continues to put up big numbers in 4 straight wins

ALLEN PARK — Jared Goff isn’t flashy. He doesn’t grab headlines. He just wins.

While the NFL is full of quarterback issues, the only issue in Detroit is whether Goff gets enough appreciation.

After Sunday’s 37-24 win at the Bengals, Goff joins  Peyton Manning (2013) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to accumulate at least 12 touchdown passes, a 75.0 percent completion rate and a 120.0 passer rating through the first five games of any season. 

That’s elite company.

That’s not all.

In Sunday’s win Goff completed 19-of-23 passes (82.6%) for 258 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 153.0 passer rating. He tied an NFL record by producing his sixth-straight road game with a completion percentage of at least 70.0% (20 attempts per game minimum). 

“Goff is playing at a high level, very efficient,’’ coach Dan Campbell said on Monday. “We put a lot on his plate, he’s getting us in the right play.’’

After four straight wins, his numbers have risen above the rest. He only has one game (win at Browns) where his completion percentage was less than 71 percent. He’s had a pair of games where he completed more than 82 percent of his passes – Sunday in win at Bengals and win at Bears in Week 2.

In the last four games he has a 73.6 percent completion rate (third in NFL), 240.5 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns against just one interception. 

He was playing without starting left tackle Taylor Decker in Cincinnati and got sacked four times but it did not seem to affect his game. At all.

Lions offensive coordinator John Morton worked with Goff in 2022 when he was the Lions senior offensive assistant. He said since then everything has changed.

“I mean the communication — RCE (recognize, communicate, execute) that we always talk about – he’s just been phenomenal. Game planning me and him, just talking, the accuracy that he’s had, handling checks at the line. All that, just everything, he’s just so much better at,’’Morton said. “And he’s played a while, so he’s comfortable in this offense and where we’re at. And that’s good for a quarterback because you want him to go out there and not think about a lot of stuff. But he’s got in some great checks and we’ve capitalized on it.’’

UP NEXT: Lions (4-1) at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. on Sunday.