Detroit had a weekend that said plenty about where the city’s football and hockey teams stand right now.
It started with the Red Wings on Friday, when fans let Dylan Larkin hear it before the season had even begun, booing the former captain. Then, within five minutes of the puck dropping, the frustration around ownership came spilling out in three words. Less than 24 hours later, Simon Edvinsson - the young defenseman the team has been excited about - told the club he’d rather be traded than sign another contract.
Outside one condo on Woodward facing LCA, the message was impossible to miss: “Sell the team, Chris.” “Red Wings fans deserve better.”
By Sunday, that mood felt familiar. Watching the Lions against the Panthers brought back memories of another ugly Detroit stretch, the kind that made the “Millen Man March” in December of 2005 so memorable after the Lions stumbled through a 20-57 run from 2001 to 2005. It was the kind of day that made you think about dysfunction, frustration, and just how fast a season can start slipping away when the people in charge can’t get it right.
The Lions’ defense is the issue, plain and simple. Detroit needs help in the secondary, with safety and cornerback both obvious areas of need.
But personnel only matters so much if the play-caller keeps reaching for Cover 0. Carolina made the RPO work because Bryce Young was able to recognize the pressure and get the ball into the space left behind.
Even when the Panthers ran it, Chuba Hubbard still averaged 6.1 yards per carry on 20 attempts, though his longest run went for just 32.
What stood out most Sunday night was the lack of stability and direction on that side of the ball. The defense has to be shaped around what this group can actually do, not some ideal version of what it might look like later when everyone is healthy.
The former linebackers coach has to get this unit back on track. Jack Campbell, meanwhile, looks like a player trying so hard not to make a mistake that he’s ending up in them anyway.
And the numbers are brutal. Through four games, Detroit’s defense has been historically bad.
The Lions are allowing 31.8 points per game, which is the third-worst mark over the last 40 years, trailing only the 2008 Lions at 32.3 and the 2020 Lions at 32.4. That’s the kind of production that makes you look back at the worst Detroit defenses and realize this group is already in that neighborhood.
It also leaves the Lions wondering what this team could be with even a passable defense. Three straight drives to open a game ended with 21 unanswered points allowed, and that kind of start can wreck everything. This isn’t a roster loaded like Brian Flores’ defense, either; Detroit ranks 28th in spending on defensive players across the NFL, and only one player is making more than $10 million, Andrew Van Ginkel.
That leaves the pressure on Kelvin Sheppard, Brad Holmes, and Dan Campbell to find answers fast. If Sheppard can lift this defense to even slightly below average, that alone would help take some of the edge off where this group is headed.
But the questions are bigger than one coach. Holmes has already missed on Joey Porter Jr., and it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll keep calling around before November’s trade deadline.
There’s also Brian Branch, and whether Detroit can afford to wait and see if he changes the picture.
The schedule doesn’t leave much room for patience. The Lions are headed to the desert to face an Arizona Cardinals team that’s there to be beaten, and then comes the bye week. If the defense keeps looking this porous, the restlessness could come roaring back by Week 6.
Only Holmes and Dan Campbell can really answer what happens next. Campbell says he’s not in panic mode, and he’s not worried about being 2-2 in a 17-game season.
But this isn’t just about fixing a few things around the edges. It’s going to take Holmes adding talent and Campbell putting the right person in charge.
If that person is Kelvin Sheppard, the Lions need that change to show up soon. Another day like Sunday, especially against Arizona, and the boos may not stay in Detroit.
In Other News...
Darius Slay Just Said What Lions Fans Fear About This Secondary
Darius Slay has never been shy about giving his old team an honest evaluation, and his latest comments land at a time when the Lions are still trying to steady a defense that has drawn plenty of scrutiny. The former Detroit cornerback pointed to Carlton Davis as the player he thought fit best in the scheme and said letting him leave in free agency was the clubs biggest recent misstep, a remark that will sound familiar to anyone who has watched the secondary struggle to find consistency.
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 🡒]
Lions Pass Defense Problem Could Force A Trade Fans Didn't Expect
Through the first month of the season, the Lions pass defense has been one of the clearest pressure points on the roster, and it has already pushed the front office into the trade market. Detroit has talked with other teams about cornerback Joey Porter Jr., but the search for help could widen if the right deal materializes. One name floating into the conversation is Philadelphia cornerback Riq Woolen, a player with the kind of tools that can change the feel of a secondary in a hurry.
Woolens contract situation and past performance make him an intriguing fit for a team trying to shore up the back end without overcommitting long term. Philadelphias recent roster changes, including the retirement of Lane Johnson and the trade of Cam Jurgens, have also fueled the idea that the Eagles could be willing to keep moving pieces to stockpile future draft capital. For the Lions, the question is whether a move like that is realistic, and whether solving the pass-defense issue will require a swing more aggressive than the one fans expected. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Secondary Problem Is Fueling A Trade Fans Will Want
The Lions search for help in the back end keeps circling back to the trade market, and Kristian Fulton has become one of the more interesting names attached to it. Detroit has already come up short on other cornerback targets, including Joey Porter Jr., which has only sharpened the focus on a defense that could use more stability on the outside. Fultons situation in Kansas City makes him a logical candidate to watch, especially with the kind of midseason deal that can sometimes benefit both teams.
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 🡒]