Kelvin Sheppard – Page 2

Five things to watch as Lions face the Vikings; plus injury update, prediction

Fresh off the bye week, the Lions enter a crucial stretch of the season, starting with the division-rival Vikings on Sunday at Ford Field.

The Lions (5-2) hold second place in the NFC North behind the Packers (5-1-1) and ahead of the Bears (4-3) and Minnesota ((3-4). The Vikings have lost two straight and three of the last four with Carson Wentz at quarterback.

Coach Dan Campbell talked to the team this week about where everything is stacking up in the NFC.

“It’s very competitive, especially at this point in the season for one conference. But all I stated was, ‘Hey, this is where we’re at, this is where these teams are at, and this thing’s about to shake out within the month of November.’ … You’re going to start seeing some risers and fallers, and a lot of these teams are playing each other,’’ Campbell said. .”We’re one of them. So, it really is just handle your business, man. And the bottom line is, find a way to win your division. And we’ve got Minnesota coming in here, that’s No. 1. And then you worry about the next one after that.”

Campbell said external expectations are what they are.

“It’s not about expectations, it’s about our standards,’’ the coach said. “The standards are the standards, and it’s about us playing to those standards, and that’s the most important thing.”

Five things to watch:

ONE: J.J. McCarthy is expected to start for the Vikings on Sunday. The second-year quarterback has just two games of NFL experience but Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said regardless of time on task he’s a threat. Sheppard referred to the Vikings’ Week 1 27-24 win over the Bears when McCarthy threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran 14 yards for a score all in the fourth quarter for the comeback win. “Ultra competitor, a player like that doesn’t get drafted where he was drafted without a reason and I see the reason,’’ Sheppard said. “You turn on the Week 1 game and they were getting stymied in the first half, they came out in the second half and in a way he put that team on his back, he put that offense on his back and you saw how the guys galvanized around him. So that told me something about him.’’

TWO: While the secondary backups – the Legion of Whom – excelled in the win over the Bucs before the bye week, the secondary will look more familiar on Sunday with Brian Branch and possibly Terrion Arnold, Avonte Maddox and Daniel Thomas returning. Still Sheppard loved what he saw from the others. “I mean the names go on and on of the guys that went out and not only just played, not only held the line, but they’ve put some pressure on some of our starters now,’’ Sheppard said. “Like these guys came in and we probably played the best defensive game that we’ve played this year with a bunch of you call it ‘no name,’ whatever. I know these guys’ names, and I know who they are as people and I’m just glad that everybody else does now.”

THREE: During the bye week, the coaches looked at third-down percentage and how to improve it. The Lions rank 22nd in the NFL converting 37.7 percent of third downs. It’s not just third-and-long that is the issue. “I feel like there’s a lot of things we’ve actually missed on third-and-manageable. The mid-range third downs. So we’re where we want to be to have a shot at converting, it’s just we’ve got to get it done,’’ Campbell said. “And that really is collective, it’s all of us. There’s things that we can do to really help our guys and then it falls on them too. So, it’s collective, it’s the whole unit. And I know we talked about that and so look, we’re just going to keep tweaking it, we’re going to keep working on it and hopefully we get better this week.’’

FOUR: Defensively, the red zone play has been ranked in the bottom third of the league. “Statistically I kind of looked at some areas that I believe we should be better and will be better starting with the red zone. When you allow teams down there it’s huge that you limit points in those situations – the 4-point plays,’’ Sheppard said. “As far as when teams are in 7-point striking distance and you only give up a FG. We’ve definitely got to tick up there. Also third-and-11 plus we’re in the bottom 5 of the league.’’

FIVE: Jared Goff has faced Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores enough to know him but that doesn’t make it easier on the quarterback who said he sees some changes from last year.

“Well coached, fast, fly around, good hard-nosed players who play hard for him. It’s a good group,’’ Goff said. “… They want to penetrate, they want to get in the backfield, they want to get typically five or six guys rushing, one-on-ones on everybody. In that case, they run some pick games, they run some stunts, they do a little bit of everything. And they want to disrupt your timing and get in the backfield and it’s up to us up front and me to get the ball out and do everything right.”

LIONS INJURIES: Out — CB Kerby Joseph, RB Craig Reynolds, LB Malcolm Rodriguez; Questionable — LT Taylor Decker, CB Avonte Maddox, RB Sione Vaki and S Daniel Thomas.

VIKINGS INJURIES: Out — FB C.J. Hand, TE Josh Oliver, CB Jeff Okuday; Questionable _ LT Christian Darrisaw, RT Brian O’Neill, EDGE Andrew van Ginkel and DB Josh Metellus.

PREDICTION: Lions 35, Vikings 21

UP NEXT: Lions at Washington Commanders, 4:25 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16.

Lions Aidan Hutchinson relieved that $180 million extension is a done deal

ALLEN PARK — Lions pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson may have signed a four-year $180 million extension on Wednesday, but on Thursday it was back to work.

“While it’s great news, it’s all Minnesota in my brain,’’ Hutchinson said on Thursday. The Lions face the Vikings on Sunday at Ford Field.

Hutchinson’s deal, with a guarantee of $141 million, will keep him with the Lions through the 2030 season. He was previously signed through 2026.

It’s a dream come true for a hometown kid who played college ball at Michigan.

“I’m really super grateful and ready to focus everything on this season and put that behind me and focus on what’s important,’’ Hutchinson said. He thanked the Fords and the entire organization.

He left the negotiations to his agent and his parents. He signed the deal on Wednesday but said the highlight was when he heard about the deal.

“I feel like me hearing the news and hearing the offer coming in, to me you get that deep relief that the negotiations are over with,’’ Hutchinson said. “I was very uninvolved in the process so there wasn’t too much focus. As much as uninvolved as you are, it’s still something that’s there. But now with that not being there, I’m all in.’’

Since he was drafted second overall in 2022, he’s never disappointed. He broke his leg in Week 6 in 2024, but has come back like it never happened, typically playing 93 percent of the defensive snaps in the first seven games

Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard was asked if he thought of giving Hutchinson, 25, more rest during a game. He suggested the reporter suggest that to Hutch because it wouldn’t go over well.

“If he can handle it, why take anything off him if he’s handling it well,’’ Sheppard said.

In other words, don’t expect to see Hutchinson to get many breathers. So far he has six sacks and 29 quarterback pressures which is second just to Micah Parsons.

“We just gave him half the building so he needs to play 95 percent,’’ Sheppard said with a smile. “He’s a tremendous, tremendous athlete, superior athlete and not by God-gifted talent, I’m talking about hard work and dedication, he’s conditioned his mind and body to do that.’’

UP NEXT: Vikings (3-4) at Lions (5-2), 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2 at Ford Field.)

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.