Every week during the regular season Tim Twentyman will answer 10 good questions from his X account @ttwentyman in a feature we call "10 Questions with Twentyman."
20man: There aren't many. It's a really good Cleveland Browns defense the Detroit Lions face this week, ranking No. 1 in total defense (204.3), No. 1 against the run (57.3) and No. 4 against the pass (147.0).
Teams have had some success converting on third down (45.5 percent) and also making plays down the field in the pass game. Look for Detroit to take a shot or two down the field if they get it blocked right up front and have the opportunity.
Opposing quarterbacks have a 130.8 passing rating against the Browns this season on passes that travel at least 21 yards in the air. That includes two touchdowns. There could be one or two opportunities to connect on big pass plays that affect the outcome of this game.
20man: It is a big part of it. There's no greater teacher in this league than game reps. Just look at the improvement Tate Ratledge has made after a couple games under his belt. He was the fourth highest graded offensive lineman by Pro Football Focus in Week 3.
It's not until players get to the regular season and the intensity ramps up, teams are scheming against you and teams have to make adjustments on the fly that the real learning begins.
I see Ratledge, Graham Glasgow and Christian Mahogany really settling into their roles after getting some game reps under their belts.
20man: That's tough because as you mentioned, they both have been impressive the last two weeks.
I've been really impressed with Kelvin Sheppard. The Lions have 11 sacks over the last two weeks. How Sheppard game planned for Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, two mobile quarterbacks who can make plays with both their arm and legs, and how his players on defense executed that plan to perfection, has been impressive.
As for the Reserve/Injured and Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform players, defensive lineman Alim McNeill and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez seem to be inching closer. We could potentially see them back at practice as soon as next month. Lions head coach Dan Campbell said edge rusher Josh Paschal is improving but didn't give a definitive timetable for return when asked about him last week.
20man: Don't sleep on Kalif Raymond. He's one of those glue pieces for this roster who does so many things, a number of which don't show up on the stat sheet like his blocking along the perimeter in the run game. His speed is also something defenses must account for opposite Jameson Williams. Isaac TeSlaa has made the most of some early opportunities and Morton will continue to work him in, but he's got some more growing to do before we see him overtaking a crafty and veteran player like Raymond who means more to the offense than people might realize.
20man: It has certainly been an up and down start for second-year cornerback Terrion Arnold. Opposing quarterbacks have targeted him 22 times and he's allowed 16 catches for 241 yards and a touchdown. They are completing 72.7 percent of their passes for a 138.6 rating when targeting him.
It's only three games into Year 2 for him and it's the most difficult position to play in the NFL outside of quarterback. Sometimes it takes a little time to settle in.
The Lions have certainly not given up on Arnold, but they may work veteran Amik Robertson into the mix some on the outside moving forward. Campbell said that is an option on his weekly interview with 97.1.
20man: I don't think so. I guess it always depends on the matchup week to week, but this is what we've seen all the way back to training camp. Jahmyr Gibbs has moved into the 1A role and David Montgomery 1B. Detroit is averaging 149.0 yards per game on the ground, which is fourth best in the NFL. If it isn't broke, don't fix it.
20man: This is such a tricky game for me looking at Detroit's offense facing a stout Browns defense who is one of those rare units that is good both against the run and the pass. They rank No. 1 against the run allowing just 57.3 yards per game and No. 4 against the pass (147.0).
I think it's dangerous against this defense to go into the game saying, 'OK Jared Goff this one is on you. We're throwing it 40 to 50 times a game.' The Browns have 11 sacks on the season, second most in the NFL. Detroit must try to establish the run early and adjust thereafter.
Detroit's rushing attack is unique from other teams around the league in that they can do it all, between the tackles or wide zone or the pitch game out wide. Their two backs and the versatility along their offensive front allows them to attack defenses with the run like most teams can't.
I'd expect Detroit to try to establish the run even though this Brown defense limited Josh Jacobs to 44 yards (81 total rushing for Packers) and Derrick Henry to 23 yards (45 total for Ravens rushing) the last two weeks. Cincinnati only had 43 rushing yards Week 1.
It's a good run defense, no doubt, but good offenses try to dictate the type of game they want to play and adjust from there. The good thing is Detroit can win multiple ways on offense whether it's the run or the pass, and when they're really playing well a combination of both.
20man: I chalk up his healthy scratch to Baltimore being a more physical, north-south running team with Henry and a big offensive line.
We'll have to see this week how the Lions play their matchups and how they see Mekhi Wingo fitting in. When McNeill and Paschal return, everyone in the rotation moves down the line and that will include Wingo. It's not a bad thing to have depth but his opportunities are likely to be limited some when Detroit has their full complement of players back upfront along the interior of their defensive front.
20man: Al-Quadin Muhammad is currently getting 40 percent of the defensive snaps. I could see that increasing a little bit more depending on the matchup, but Sheppard really likes to rotate players in opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
The rotation and playing reps are dependent on down and distance, game situation and matchups. The current rotation also keeps all those players fresh, which seems to be getting the most out of them. Maybe a few more reps for Muhammad here or there but it's looked pretty good upfront the last two weeks, so why fix what isn't broken. He's got 3.5 sacks and is making the most of his opportunities.
(Be sure to catch Muhammad on this week's Twentyman in the Huddle podcast.)
20man: This looks like a great poll question on X. Let's look at the top three from each school in terms of talent produced for the NFL.
Michigan: Tom Brady, Jim Harbaugh, Chad Henne
Georgia: Fran Tarkenton, Matthew Stafford, Stetson Bennett
Cal: Aaron Rodgers, Jared Goff, Steve Bartkowski
Feel free to disagree with my list.
When the NFL GOAT is on the list, that school goes to the top in my book. I'd say Michigan with Cal a very close second.
