Skip to main content
Advertising

KEY QUESTIONS: What does Lions' safety depth look like heading into Week 15?

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell spoke to the media Monday to kick off a week in which Detroit travels to Los Angeles to take on the NFC-West-leading Rams (10-3). The Lions are fresh off a 44-30 win over Dallas Thursday that keeps them in close pursuit of the NFC's last playoff spot as the No. 8 seed.

Here are all the key questions from Campbell's Monday media session:

What jumps out about the Los Angeles Rams as Campbell and his staff begin their game prep?

The first thing Campbell talked about was the Rams' overall roster and the quality and quantity of players at every level on both sides of the football. Rams head coach Sean McVay knows how to get the most of his roster and put players in a position to have success.

Campbell said they've seen a little more of 12 and 13 personnel from the Rams than they've seen in the past.

"A lot of this under center run gives them a chance to really lean on you a little bit," Campbell said of the Rams' top 10-ranked rushing offense (123.9 avg.). "That's where a lot (of their offense) has changed. There's more of a concerted effort in the run game."

That's led by running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, a duo in the Rams' backfield Campbell thinks is a terrific one-two punch at the position.

"Both of those guys are really good," he said. "They gave (Corum) a load (Sunday) and he rushed for over 100. I think it's a good changeup. I think both of those guys are a little different but to me they are both power backs. They are both able to go downhill and slice you and get under you and move the pile. They are quick, they are explosive, they are twitchy and versatile."

What does the Lions' depth at safety look like?

Brian Branch suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the win over Dallas last week and that means Detroit will be without the services of one of the most versatile safeties in the league for the rest of the season.

"Anytime you lose someone like BB, it's going to hurt," Campbell said. "He's a productive player. He's an outstanding football player and he's a team guy. Great locker room guy. Teammates love him. So, you lose all of that."

Campbell likes their depth at safety. He expects to get All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph back at practice this week with the hope of getting him some reps Sunday in Los Angeles. Joseph hasn't played since Week 6 in Kansas City because of a knee injury.

The Lions signed veteran safety Damontae Kazee to the practice squad, and they'll see how quickly he can acclimate to defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard's scheme.

They also have veteran Avonte Maddox, who stepped in last week when Thomas Harper went down with a concussion and notched eight tackles, a forced fumble and a pass defended against the Cowboys.

"He played his tail off, which is why he's here, because he's a football guy," Campbell said of Maddox's performance against Dallas. "He made quite a few plays. That's encouraging."

Harper remains in concussion protocol to start the week, but Campbell is hoping he can navigate through that and work his way back into the lineup this week. It's next man up and the train doesn't slow down on the home stretch of the regular season.

What do the Lions have to do Sunday on the road to come away with a win over the Rams?

Detroit's defensive front was extremely disruptive against the Cowboys last week generating 29 total pressures, 19 quarterback hurries and 5.0 sacks. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott never got comfortable in the pocket.

All that pressure also helped generate three takeaways by Detroit's defense as the Lions won the turnover battle 3-0 over Dallas. Campbell said they'll need to play a similar game defensively upfront where they get after Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and try to disrupt his clock and potentially force some mistakes. Stafford hasn't made many mistakes this season as he's thrown 35 touchdowns and only four interceptions in what could be an MVP season for the 37-year-old quarterback.

"We played complementary football (in the win over Dallas) and we have to do it again on the road against the Rams, a very good team playing at a very high level," Campbell said. "We have to play better. We have to play better to beat this team that we're getting ready to face and we will. We can do that. We can play better. We will play better."

View some of the best photos through Week 14 of the Detroit Lions 2025 season.

When could the Lions get guard Christian Mahogany back?

Detroit's starting left guard to begin the season has been on injured reserve since Week 9 with a leg injury, but the team could start his practice window this week.

"What does he look like this week? And honestly, I don't expect a lot right now this week," Campbell said. "But I do think he's starting to feel good enough to work him into practice."

Related Content

Advertising