The Detroit Lions made a quick roster move on the defensive line, bringing Levi Onwuzurike back to the practice squad one day after releasing him from the active roster.
Detroit also elevated Ben Stille from the practice squad ahead of Week 1. Stille has spent time with the Cardinals, Dolphins and Falcons before arriving in Detroit.
Onwuzurike is still working back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and is trying to avoid another run of injuries.
On the injury report, the only player listed as questionable was defensive back Chrisitian Izien.
The Lions open the season with a defense that will be tested immediately, with the Saints’ offense featuring wideout Chris Olave, quarterback Tyler Shough and running back Travis Etienne Jr.
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said earlier this week that the message around explosive plays hasn’t changed.
“There's nothing else we've done, we've talked about that," said Sheppard. "The players understand how that can absolutely just tilt a football game.
And you talk about complementary football, you let off a 45-yard run, that tilts a football game. Now our offense is getting off like, 'Oh man, we feel like they’ve got to go do something to combat what just happened on the other side of the ball.'
And then just the explosive plays will be limited this year if we do nothing else."
Sheppard said the emphasis is on execution and cleaning up mistakes that lead to big gains.
"It goes back, the players must go out and execute. And one of my keys to victory, I share with you guys, I ask these guys, no explosive plays by way of mental error or missed tackles," said Sheppard.
"Because that's on us. They're going to do some things in this game, guys, it's the NFL and I understand that, but what we can't allow to happen is explosive plays by way of our doing.
And what I mean by that is mental errors and missed tackles.”
In Other News...
Lions Escape Saints But A Bigger Concern Just Took Center Stage
The Lions left New Orleans with a win, but it came with a lot of noise attached to it. Detroit needed overtime to get past the Saints, and while the offense leaned hard on Jahmyr Gibbs, who piled up 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns, the bigger takeaway was how much the secondary struggled to hold up for much of the night. The defensive line did its part with five sacks, and special teams flashed better coverage with several key tackles, but the back end was exposed repeatedly.
Jameson Williams also had a rough outing with multiple drops, adding to the uneven feel of a game Detroit controlled only in stretches. For a team with bigger expectations than simply surviving close ones, the concern is less about the win itself than the way the Saints were able to test the Lions through the air. The front seven gave them enough chances to escape, but the secondarys performance is the sort of issue that tends to linger after the postgame celebration fades. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have A Joey Porter Jr. Question Worth Watching
The cornerback market suddenly has a name that would have to get the Lions attention. Joey Porter Jr. has reportedly asked the Steelers for a trade as extension talks have stalled, and Pittsburgh is at least willing to listen, even if its current asking price appears steep. For Detroit, it is the kind of opening that is hard to ignore: a young defensive back with upside becoming available, and a team that still has a clear need at the position.
Nothing formal is happening yet, but that is part of what makes this worth watching. The Lions have the cap flexibility to explore a move if the price softens, and Porters situation could become one of the more interesting fallback options on the market. For now, it is simply a question of whether the Steelers lower their demands enough for Detroit, or anyone else, to get serious. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Already Have A Backfield Problem Fans Didnt Expect
The Lions spent the spring reshaping their backfield around Jahmyr Gibbs, moving on from David Montgomery and planning for a new pecking order behind their lead runner. The idea was simple enough: Gibbs would handle the featured work, Isiah Pacheco would fill the Montgomery role, and Detroit could keep the ground game balanced without overcomplicating things.
Instead, the early returns have already created a wrinkle. Pacheco opening the season on injured reserve left the backup job unsettled, and Dan Campbell pointed to Jacob Saykors and Sione Vaki sharing those reps. In Week 1, Gibbs saw plenty of work and produced, Vaki logged more snaps than Saykors but had a rough outing, and Montgomery made his Texans debut by scoring three total touchdowns, leaving the Lions with a familiar question in a very different form. [Read more 🡒]