A lot of the Detroit Lions’ struggles on defense were predictable from the start. Many correctly pointed out concerns with the Lions’ cornerback room after the team failed to add significant talent this offseason and lost the promise of young cornerback Terrion Arnold. Missing their two top, Pro Bowl safeties was going to hurt, even if they had confidence in their offseason replacements.
But what no one could have predicted was a rough start from All-Pro linebacker Jack Campbell. Against the Buffalo
Bills, Campbell appeared to commit several missed assignments, he struggled in coverage, and was extremely upset with his own performance. He was better against the New York Jets on Sunday, but we’ve still yet to see him make a huge impact. Through three weeks, PFF has credited him with a 44.2 overall grade (52nd out of 57 qualifying LBs) and has him allowing receptions on 12 of 14 targets for 145 yards, two touchdowns, and a 149.4 passer rating.
So… what the heck is going on? How has Campbell gone from the best linebacker in the NFL to one of the worst through three games? On this week’s Midweek Mailbag, we try to provide some answers.
Some of his struggles can likely be explained through a pretty significant change in role. With Alex Anzalone gone, Campbell has taken a bigger load in coverage thus far. He’s averaged nearly 43 coverage snaps per game thus far compared to just under 36 last year. Additionally, the Lions’ coverage scheme has drastically shifted, going from one of the most man-heavy teams in football to a bottom-half man-coverage team through three weeks.
There’s also clearly a trust issues that coach Dan Campbell has referred to many times.
“We got to get our trust level back,” Campbell said after the Bills game. “We got to start back from ground level, get back to the basics of what we do. And man, just do your job. Trust it. You got to trust it.”
Watching the film, it certainly seems like Jack Campbell is hesitating more than he has before. Whether that’s an adjustment to some schematic changes or a doubt in his teammates, that half-second is often costing him proper positioning.
We dive deeper into the topic on this week’s show.
Other topics on this week’s show include:
- What are some clear schematic changes the Lions made out of the mini-bye and were they effective?
- Did Detroit provide enough pass rush against the Jets?
- What should the Lions do with Juice Scruggs when Cade Mays gets back? Should they consider a trade?
- Would a Joey Porter Jr. trade really solve most of Detroit’s secondary problems? Do you think the Lions are even willing to make that move?
- Have the Lions already put aside money for Porter, hoping they’d give that money to Terrion Arnold?
- When Brian Branch is healthy, what will the starting secondary look like?
- Who is in most danger of being cut: Roger McCreary, Rock Ya-Sin, or Devin White?
- How will Sione Vaki’s improvement impact the offense going forward?
- Thoughts on the NFC North after three games
Catch the full show on your favorite podcasting platform by searching “Pride of Detroit,” or you can just use the Spotify embed below:
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