Detroit Lions second-year cornerback Terrion Arnold has never lacked confidence.
Playing cornerback in the NFL, just like playing quarterback, requires a certain degree of confidence to go along with a short memory.
Through Detroit's first two games, Arnold has been challenged by both the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears in the pass game. He's been targeted 16 times, allowing 11 receptions (68.8 percent) for 176 yards and a touchdown. Packers quarterback Jordan Love and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams combined for a 126.0 passer rating when targeting Arnold.
The numbers in the pass game don't tell the full story about Arnold's play early on. He is Detroit's top graded run defender by Pro Football Focus in the secondary through two weeks. Lions head coach Dan Campbell was asked about Arnold's play Saturday, and Campbell thinks his young cornerback is in a good place despite giving up some early plays in the pass game.
"I feel great about T.A," Campbell said Saturday. "He goes to work and he does not lack confidence. He acknowledges like, 'Hey man, I can be better, and I will be better.' And he goes out there and works at it in practice.
"It just happens to be those guys get on an island a lot. It's like your quarterback, right. And everybody sees it but there's plenty of things that go on that not everybody sees where we need guys to be better. And you just continue to work at it in practice, and they do get better. So, I'm not worried about T.A."
As for Arnold, he's going to keep strapping it up, competing and continuing to work to get better every opportunity he gets.
"I would just say (I'm) growing every day," Arnold said. "I don't grade myself based on how it looks. When I sit down with my coach to analyze the tape and really break it down, put yourself in coverages and think about how you could have won your one-on-one. That's how I grade it. Going throughout, just continuing to improve each and every game."
DAVENPORT UPDATE
Veteran edge rusher Marcus Davenport, who has missed practice all week with a chest injury, won't play in Detroit's Monday Night Football matchup against the Ravens in Baltimore, per Campbell.
"I don't see Davenport playing," Campbell said. "We're still trying to decide what to do. We've gotten some other tests back. We do not feel this is season-ending, but don't see him playing this week."
Campbell said they expect to have a better idea of Davenport's timeline for return later on Saturday or Sunday.
Expect veteran edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad, who had a sack in last week's win over Chicago, to play a much more significant role opposite Aidan Hutchinson this week.
SECONDARY GROWTH
Campbell was asked a question about defensive assistant and safeties coach Jim O'Neil Saturday and in his response, he said Detroit's secondary has made the most growth of any unit since he's become head coach in 2021.
Over the last five seasons, the Lions have acquired safeties Kerby Joseph (All Pro) and Brian Branch (Pro Bowler), who are now one of - if not the best - safety tandem in the NFL.
Amik Robertson has become one of the better nickel cornerbacks in the league. D.J. Reed is a proven vet playing pretty good ball to start the season in his first year with the Lions, and the team is still very high on Arnold's potential.
Campbell gave a lot of credit for the growth of the secondary to pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend and to O'Neil.
"Between (O'Neil) and Shea, they do a great job with the backend. Those guys have - we've done our most growth here, since I've been here, defensively in the backend just from the steps that have been taken from Year 1 to here we go on Year 5," Campbell said.
SPECIAL TEAMS BOOST
Running back Sione Vaki (hamstring) and linebacker Trevor Nowaske (elbow) have been full participants in practice this week after missing Detroit's first two contests due to injury. If both can return to game action on Monday, it will give the Lions special teams a big boost as they are two of the best players on Detroit's core special teams units.
"Well, look, it's going to help," Campbell said. "Those are two good football players for us in the teams aspect. But they also bring things offensively and defensively that we can use. So, they do, they'll give us a little bit of a bump here. Now, it's their first game back, we understand that, but we look forward to them being back and being able to use them."
