The Detroit Lions are 1-1 through two weeks, and no matter how it's looked, it's ultimately what most expected after games against the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said he planned to use the long weekend to deep dive his roster and figure out what his players are doing best and what they need help after two weeks. The Lions have three winnable games upcoming before the bye, and it's important they hit that week off with three or four wins.
It's mailbag time with no practice on the schedule this weekend. Let's get to your questions.
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How short of leash is Kelvin Sheppard on and who are the options to replace him? First choice is Jim Schwartz – @JZyns9
A lot of questions this
week about Kelvin Sheppard and the Lions' defense, so let's start here. First, I understand the frustration with how the defense has played the first two weeks. Allowing 71 points and 915 yards is unacceptable. There've been way too many coverage busts and mental errors. But let's give the defense credit for three takeaways against the Saints, nearly two more against the Bills and acknowledge the talent deficiencies in the back end.
It's fair to wonder whether Sheppard is the right man to run the defense, but I don't have any sense his job is in jeopardy and I don't think it should be right now. Dan Campbell and the Lions groomed Sheppard for the DC job for years, and Campbell gave Aaron Glenn plenty of leeway when he was running the defense to get things right after a rough start. The franchise is in a different spot now, but two weeks into Sheppard's second season as DC isn't the time to consider a change.
As for Jim Schwartz, I've never talked to him about the possibility so this is pure speculation, but I can't see him ever coming back to Detroit as an assistant. The Lions fired him as head coach. He didn't want to stay with the Cleveland Browns after he was passed over for the top job. I can't see him returning to the Lions in a subordinate role. If you're talking potential in-season replacements should it ever get to that, safeties coach Jim O'Neil has previous coordinator experience and secondary coach Deshea Townsend interviewed for the San Francisco 49ers DC job in January. But again, I think Sheppard deserves time to get this right.
What is the status of Kerby Joseph & Brian Branch? Are they playing this season or are their injuries more serious than the fan base knows? – @2LisC2DisG
Yes, Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch will be back this season, and while Campbell has stayed away from putting a timetable on their returns, we could start to see some movement on both players next month. Players on the physically unable to perform list must sit out at least four games, so the earliest they could return is Oct. 11 against the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions have a bye the next week. If Joseph, Branch and Cade Mays are healthy enough to return around that time, it would be a big lift for the Lions.
The bigger question with Joseph and Branch is what type of player they'll be when they get back on the field, and that's a little trickier to forecast. Joseph was one of the rangiest, most instinctive safeties in the league before his knee condition popped up. His instincts haven't gone away, and I expect him to be productive when he returns. But there is no telling how long that will last before his knee pain flares up again.
I think Branch will get back to being the player he was, but I wouldn't count on that happening this year given the nature of Achilles tendon injuries. Even with the rust both players have to shake off, they'd be welcome additions to the secondary.
Any moves coming to help the secondary and in RB relief duty? What would you do in Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell's shoes? - @freebrainsurgery.bsky.social
What are the cap space plans? - @MrOldSkool313
I'm going to lump these two questions into one, and sprinkle in a little Joey Porter Jr., too, cause I know that topic comes up frequently with Lions fans.
First, let's take Campbell at his word that the Lions don't have any immediate plans to spend their newly created cap room on any big additions. The Lions have always preferred to go into seasons with a cap cushion they can use on extensions, trades, roster moves, etc. They have $37.7 million in cap space according to the NFLPA's last report and can carry over any excess to next year. If they really wanted to spend the money, they could have done this in March and used it in free agency.
I expect they'll get a deal done with Sam LaPorta in the relatively near future, and there's some flexibility in how they structure it now that they have cap space. LaPorta has played well to start the year and he's the last top tight end that needs a contract, though the closer any player gets to free agency the less incentive there is for him to sign a new deal.
There's no reason to believe a move for Porter or anyone else is imminent, but I think the Lions have to do something to address their secondary before the trade deadline. If I were Brad and Dan, I don't know that Porter would be the move given it might take a first-round pick to pry him loose and you'd have to pay him top-of-market money. He's a good player, and in general I think the Lions should be aggressive in their pursuit of outside talent. But I don't put him in the Pat Surtain/Christian Gonzalez class of cornerback.
As for running back, that's less of an issue for me because I don't have any problems with Jahmyr Gibbs' workload. There are veterans out there like Jamaal Williams and Kareem Hunt, but if Isiah Pacheco is indeed going to be back around Thanksgiving from back surgery, I'd sit tight.
Hey man when are they going to play Ahmed [Hassanein] and [Jimmy] Rolder? Hope it's vs the Jets – @watchwhatupostppl.bsky.social
Rookie fourth-round pick Jimmy Rolder and second-year defensive end Ahmed Hassanein have been healthy scratches the first two games, but I don't think either is going to solve the defense's problems.
Rolder basically missed all of camp with a hamstring injury so he's behind the learning curve substantially. The Lions should give him a special teams role before long with an eye on sprinkling him into the defensive playing rotation eventually, but at best you're probably looking at a role in packages. Hassanein doesn't offer much special teams value so his path to playing time isn't quite as simple. Levi Onwuzurike and Ben Stille have more versatility as backup big ends, Hassanein appars to be behind them and starter Tyler Lacy in the rotation.
There was lots of talk of Derek Moore in the preseason and now he’s nowhere to be seen. Why? – @HenryMorgan73
Unlike Rolder and Hassanein, Derrick Moore, the Lions' second-round pick, has been in the playing rotation the first two weeks as a backup defensive end who's seeing time in some of the Lions' rush packages. Moore doesn't have a tackle in 35 snaps this season, but if I'm being honest, this is about what I expected from him to start the year.
It's hard for rookies to make an impact in the NFL and Moore is essentially the Lions' No. 4 defensive end behind Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum and Tyler Lacy. Don't judge a player on his rookie year, let alone his first two games. Moore's not going to put up huge numbers this year, but he'll make some plays once he settles in and gets more snaps.
The leadership on this team has dried up and at the end of what they can get done. Is it now time for some major changes starting at the top? - @GuyMarcoux16
Guys, it's Week 2 and the Lions are 1-1. The season's not over. I get it. The defense has been bad the last six quarters and there are some serious flaws (secondary, depth, maybe on the offensive line) that I think limit their ceiling. But there's also some really high-end talent on this roster and a pretty good chance the Lions are still going to make the playoffs.
I don't think it's time to bail on Campbell, Holmes or any of the leadership, and I don't think they're at the end of what they can get done. There's a lot of season left. Let's see how it plays out.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions mailbag: Is Kelvin Sheppard on the hot seat?
