Football is the ultimate team sport. So when one unit or position group is dealing with injury, it's imperative everyone else around them steps up their game.
The Detroit Lions' secondary is dealing with several injuries heading into Sunday's game in Kansas City against the Chiefs. Staring outside cornerbacks D.J. Reed (hamstring) and Terrion Arnold (shoulder) won't play. Starting safeties Kerby Joseph (knee) and Brian Branch (ankle) could be game-time decisions, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Friday. Top reserve safety and nickel cornerback, Avonte Maddox, could also be a game-time decision after showing up on the practice report Thursday with a hamstring injury. Joseph, Branch and Maddox didn't practice Friday.
Campbell is confident his reserves in the secondary will step up Sunday night if called upon to do so, but he also said he needs his front seven on defense to step up too.
"You get in these types of games and then you get where we're kind of talking about right now with what we may be going into (with). Well, you spread the burden, you spread the load and so there'll be more onus on that front seven - or front six and nickel," Campbell said Friday.
"Those guys are going to have to pick up the slack in some areas and reduce some stress off the backend just to help out. And they'll be expected to and they will."
Detroit's defensive line and linebackers have been playing really well to begin the season. The Lions are second in the NFL in sacks, eighth in total defense and seventh against the run to start the year.
TOUGHEST CRITIC
When running back David Montgomery got back to the sideline after his third quarter touchdown run last week in Cincinnati, he was greeted by Lions running backs coach Tashard Choice.
Choice said Friday the first thing Montgomery said to him was, 'Coach, don't give me a minus on the ball security.'
But Choice did give him a minus because Montgomery's ball security on the run wasn't up to the standards established by Choice, who has developed five critical pillars for his room, as follows:
- Protect the football
- Protect the quarterback
- Run with physicality
- Catch the football and run defined routes
- Score touchdowns
Choice said those are the laws of the jungle in his room and his players know there are no compromises with him. He puts touchdowns last because he wants his players to positively affect football games and be good teammates. Protecting the football and protecting the quarterback are most important to him in that regard.
"For me, I'm OK with being that guy," Choice said. "I have to be that guy. When you have guys who are really good football players who want to be great, they want to be coached to be great. Great players want to be coached at all times, even when they do well.
"I have to watch myself because I don't want to be negative Nancy, but I have to be. I try to find stuff to critique them and get on their nerves about."
PLAY-ACTION PASS GAME
One element of Sunday night's game to keep a close eye on is the play-action game when the Lions are on offense against Kansas City's defense.
Kansas City has struggled to contain the run this season, ranking 26th in average yards per carry allowed. Because of that, the Chiefs' defense has made it a point of emphasis for improvement.
With that being a greater focus, a side effect can be susceptibility to the play-action pass game. The Chiefs rank last in the NFL in yards per attempt (12.4) on play action passes.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff is one of the best play-action passers in the NFL with a 137.1 passer rating on play-action passes. He's particularly good at the intermediate in-cutting routes over the middle. If the Lions can suck the Chiefs linebackers up by establishing the run and running play action, Goff and the Lions' offense could find a lot of room to operate in the middle of the field in the pass game with the Chiefs' defense focused on being better against a good running Lions football team.
EXTRA POINTS
- After giving Alim McNeill a 50-50 chance to play leading up to last week's game in Cincinnati – McNeill was inactive – Campbell joked the percentage was 51-to-49 this week for Kansas City. If McNeill does play, Campbell said 20 to 25 snaps would probably be appropriate.
- Campbell on left tackle Taylor Decker’s availability for Sunday: "He's better. He's getting better. But it'll be another one - I think we'll know a lot more after (Friday). We get through this practice, rehab, all of that."
