The Lions and Derrick Barnes agreed to a three-year contract extension this offseason that will keep the fifth-year linebacker in Detroit through the 2027 season.
It turns out defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard told general manager Brad Holmes this offseason before free agency that Barnes was a player Sheppard did not want to lose.
"I told him, 'That's a player I have to have,'" Sheppard said this week of Barnes. "I believe this kid can play four, five spots on the football field and do it at a high level. He can play all three stack backer spots, he can play defensive end. So when you're able to have a player like that, you see them out in the apex in 11-person personnel - which is really a nickel spot.
"So when you have a player like that, it allows you that ability to present the same looks pre-snap and then post-snap be able to play a different variety of coverages, different variety of pressure packages and things like that."
Detroit is playing more base defense than they ever have since Dan Campbell took over as head coach in 2021 and the versatility of their linebackers and safeties is a big reason why.
Detroit's defense missed Barnes' versatility when he was lost for the season last year due to a knee injury suffered Week 3 in Arizona. Lions senior defensive assistant and outside linebackers coach David Corrao said Friday that Barnes has picked up where he left off last year before the injury and sees him continuing to ascend week after week.
Through the first three games, Barnes is currently second on the team with 19 tackles (10 solo) and has 1.0 sack, one tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. He's been good to start the year and he's an important piece to what Sheppard, Corrao and the other defensive coaches want to do schematically each week to attack opposing offenses.
FIRST DOWN
Teams talk all the time about third down being the money down in football and it is, but Detroit must also pay special attention to being good on first down this week.
The Browns' defense has been very good on first downs through the first three weeks of the season and it's allowed them to play ahead of the sticks and put pressure on opposing offenses. Cleveland is the only team in the NFL allowing on average less than 3.0 yards (2.95) on first down.
Only 41.9 percent of first down plays against Cleveland's defense gain at least four yards and the Browns are the No. 1 rushing defense on first down, allowing on average just 2.56 yards rushing on the down.
"You could say it's important every week, but particularly a defense like this because that's - the more you get in these, what feel like passing situations, they'll get after you," Campbell said.
"They can really cut it loose and with that front four, they play fast, penetrating-style defense. So, they know first down's big for them, they're looking for second-longs and that's when they really have a lot of success. So yes, first down's going to be big for us. We cannot get behind the sticks. We've got to stay in the green because if not it'll be a long day."
TWO GAME WRECKERS
One of the big storylines this week leading up to Sunday's contest has been how the Lions plan to attack Browns All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett.
But Cleveland doesn't have the best defense in the NFL through the first three weeks because of one player. They are talented at all three levels. One player who's come up in conversations with both Lions players and coaches this week is veteran defensive tackle Maliek Collins.
"This guy is - he's playing at a high level, he has for a number of years," Campbell said of Collins. "But he just can get an edge and he's not losing it. So, it's going to be big for our guys to be fundamentally sound. We're going to have to adjust to the speed of these guys."
Collins is currently the second highest graded interior defender in the NFL by Pro Football Focus with a 90.8 grade. He's top 10 among all defensive tackles with 10 pressures and is second on the Browns with 1.5 sacks.
Detroit's tackles certainly have their work cut out trying to limit Garrett on the edge, but the same can be said for the interior of Detroit's offensive line against Collins and rookie Mason Graham.
