The Detroit Lions have spent the early part of the season getting exposed on defense, but Dan Campbell isn’t treating that as a one-sided problem.
Yes, the numbers on that side of the ball are ugly. Detroit gave up 30 points to the New Orleans Saints, 41 to the Buffalo Bills, and 32 to the Carolina Panthers. Even in the Lions’ 31-24 win over the New York Jets, the defense wasn’t exactly shutting anybody down, with Geno Smith throwing for 321 yards.
That’s a rough stretch for a team that came into the year with Super Bowl expectations, and it would be easy to point straight at the defense and leave it there. Campbell didn’t do that. Instead, he turned the conversation toward his offense and made it clear he wants more.
“Man, if you want to be great, they should want to score 35 points a game at a minimum. That’s what greatness is,” Campbell said, H/T Heavy.
“That’s what they’re charged with. We’ve got plenty of weapons on offense, and if we’re going to accept mediocrity, then no.
Then yeah, we can make all of the excuses in the world.
“But if we want to spit and sputter and be average, that’s one thing. [But] we’re not going to be average.
We’re going to raise the floor on these guys. Man, we’re going to push them.”
Campbell’s point is pretty clear: if the Lions want to live in the league’s top tier, the offense has to keep pushing the pace and putting up points. But that also tells you where Detroit is right now. When a team needs its offense to carry that much of the load just to keep the defense from becoming a total liability, it’s hard to call that a finished product.
And if the Lions are going to get where they want to go, the offense is going to have to be a lot better than it already is.
In Other News...
Darius Slay Just Said What Lions Fans Fear About This Secondary
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Slay also took aim at the broader direction of the defense under Kelvin Sheppard, suggesting the issues in the back end go beyond one departure and reflect a need for a different philosophy. He did leave open a sliver of intrigue about his own future, saying he might entertain a return for the right offer, though he made clear he is comfortable with life after football for now. [Read more 🡒]
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Lions Secondary Problem Is Fueling A Trade Fans Will Want
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Jeremy Fowler reported that Fulton is not currently a full-time starter for the Chiefs, and that matters for a Detroit team looking for a player who can step in without forcing a massive overhaul. A trade could come together if the teams are willing to split his salary, which gives the Lions a possible path forward if they decide to keep pressing for help. For a secondary still trying to find the right fit, this is the sort of move that can gain momentum quickly if the price is right. [Read more 🡒]