The Detroit Lions are only two games into the 2026 season, but the defense has already put them in a hole they can’t ignore. Back-to-back outings of allowing more than 30 points is not the kind of start a team can keep surviving for long, and it has left Detroit fortunate to be sitting at 1-1 after the mess of Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints and the blowout loss that followed in Week 2.
There is still a path to improvement, and a lot of it runs through Kelvin Sheppard. The Lions are expected to get healthier at some point, with Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch both working back from injury, and extra rest before Week 3 should help. But the bigger issue remains in front of them: the defense’s current problems are not just about bodies, and they are not just about waiting for reinforcements to return.
That was the basic warning from ESPN analyst Dan Graziano after Week 2, when he looked at the early-season reactions around the league and asked whether it would be an overreaction to think Detroit’s defense could keep it out of the playoffs again. His answer suggested that concern may be justified.
"They'll get healthier. Safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph will be back at some point.
But it doesn't sound like that point is coming very soon, and it doesn't answer Detroit's pass-rush question up front. Second-year coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, who succeeded Aaron Glenn when Glenn got the Jets' head coach job, has to figure out a way to scheme something up that the players he does have can execute."
"It should help the Lions that they get some extra rest before their Week 3 game, but in a division in which every team had a winning record last season and at least two of the other teams have shown a consistent ability to put big numbers on the scoreboard, they're going to have a tough time getting into the postseason field if they can't get things figured out on defense."
Detroit can still point to some encouraging league-wide developments. The NFC North has not exactly looked like a powerhouse outside of the 2-0 Minnesota Vikings, and the NFC overall has been uneven enough that teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders are both sitting at 0-2. With an easier schedule and an offense that can score, the Lions are still in the conversation.
But that conversation changes fast if the defense keeps leaking points. If Detroit wants to climb out of this early-season mess, it may need more than internal fixes and returning starters. It may need a bolder move than Brad Holmes has been willing to make before.
That’s where the trade deadline question comes back into focus. In recent seasons, the Lions have had chances to make bigger swings and instead settled for smaller, short-term patches. Those moves helped plug a few holes, but they never really solved the deeper issues.
This time feels different because the same defensive problems are showing up again. Whether the answer is at cornerback or on the edge, Detroit has to consider every option if it wants to stay in the playoff race in a crowded field. Fans have already watched this movie for three years, and the frustration is obvious.
Holmes has generally preferred to preserve cap space so the Lions can keep their own free agents. That approach has helped keep the team competitive, but it has also left them stuck just short of the next level, especially when the games get bigger in January. Now he has room to make a deal, and the roster clearly has places that need help.
What remains to be seen is whether he will finally act. For the Lions, that choice could end up shaping whether this season gets turned around or slips away.
In Other News...
Lions Secondary Issues Are Forcing Detroit To Act Fast
The Lions are trying to stabilize a secondary that has been hit hard early, and that urgency showed up this week at the Allen Park Performance Center. Detroit has allowed 71 points through the first two games, a rough start that has put even more pressure on a defensive back group already dealing with injuries, including safety Avonte Maddox.
Among the players getting workouts are veterans Jordan Fuller and Jalen Mills, both of whom bring NFL experience and familiarity with the league grind. Mills also has a prior connection to Detroit after being claimed off waivers by the Lions in 2025, and the teams decision to bring in that kind of depth suggests it is moving quickly to find answers before the schedule creates even more problems. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have A Secondary Issue They May Need To Solve Fast
When the Lions get back from their break, the defensive backfield will be worth watching closely. Detroit plans to work out a group of defensive backs, including Jordan Fuller and Jalen Mills, as it continues to sort through both health questions and performance concerns in the secondary. Avonte Maddoxs foot injury is part of the picture, and the team has already been forced to keep an eye on a unit that has needed help at times.
There is at least a path toward relief if the timing breaks right. Safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph remain on the Physically Unable to Perform list, but both may be nearing a return to practice, which could help stabilize a group that has been thinned out. Until then, the Lions may need these workouts to do more than just add bodies, because the back end of the defense has become a spot they may have to solve quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Badly Need Cade Mays Back For This Brutal Stretch
Jared Goff has already spent too much of the early season dealing with heat in the pocket, and it has put a spotlight on a Detroit offensive line that has not looked nearly as steady as the Lions need it to be. The issue becomes even bigger with the schedule turning toward a pair of division tests against the Packers and Vikings, both of whom can make life miserable for a quarterback when they get to the front of the pocket.
Cade Mays absence has been part of that problem, with the starting center still working back from a wrist injury that has kept him sidelined. The bye week offers the Lions a natural reset, and there is at least a chance he could be back by mid-October, which would give Detroit a much-needed reinforcement right when the trenches figures to matter most. [Read more 🡒]