The Detroit Lions know their defense has to improve, and Dan Campbell believes the answer starts with fixing some problems that have been putting the team in difficult situations.
Detroit enters Week 5 with a 2-2 record after allowing 32 points in Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers. The defense has struggled throughout the opening month, particularly against the pass, where the Lions rank 32nd in the NFL after surrendering 1,216 passing yards.
Campbell isn’t pretending the issues don’t exist.
But he also doesn’t believe Detroit needs to make drastic changes to its roster to turn things around.
Instead, the Lions’ head coach pointed to two areas that have become major priorities: creating more turnovers and eliminating penalties.
Campbell Wants the Lions to Play Smarter
Detroit has given opposing offenses far too many opportunities this season, and Campbell believes the team’s lack of discipline has played a major role.
The Lions have been called for 31 penalties through four games, resulting in 227 yards.
Several of those penalties have come before the snap or from avoidable mistakes, putting the defense in unfavorable situations before the play even develops.
Campbell made it clear that has to change.
“The starting point is, the penalties, man, it’s the penalties,” Campbell said. “It’s the pre-snap penalties, the discipline penalties. We’re putting ourselves in a bind.”
That problem isn’t limited to one position group.
For Campbell, it’s a team-wide issue that ultimately falls on the coaching staff to correct.
Turnovers Have Become Another Priority
Penalties aren’t the only thing Campbell wants fixed.
The Lions also need to start creating more turnovers.
Detroit’s defense has struggled to get off the field consistently, and forcing takeaways would give the offense additional possessions while potentially changing the momentum of games.
The Lions’ offense has been good enough to keep them competitive, but the defense can’t continue relying on the offense to score its way out of every problem.
More takeaways would give Detroit another way to compensate while the defense works through its larger issues.
Campbell Still Believes in the Roster
Perhaps the most important part of Campbell’s comments was what he didn’t say.
Despite the defensive struggles, he isn’t calling for an immediate overhaul.
Campbell acknowledged that he understands why fans are frustrated and concerned, but he believes the Lions already have enough talent to improve.
“I know there’s some frustration and there’s a lot of worry, there’s a lot anxiety over what it is,” Campbell said. “But I’m a big believer that we can improve with what’s here right now. And it’s not just defense, it’s us as a team.”
That’s a significant stance considering how badly Detroit’s defense has performed.
The Lions have already surrendered 1,695 total yards through four games, while their passing defense has been particularly vulnerable.
Campbell’s message is essentially that the solution has to begin with the players and coaches executing better with the personnel currently on the roster.
The Coaching Staff Is Taking Responsibility
Campbell also put some of the responsibility directly on himself and the coaching staff.
He said the coaches have to demand better discipline from the team, rather than simply expecting the players to correct everything themselves.
“I trust that we’ll get there and that’s on us as coaches,” Campbell said. “It starts with me, and we’re the ones who have to demand that.”
That puts the spotlight firmly on Campbell and his staff heading into Sunday’s game against Arizona.
If the same mistakes continue, simply saying the roster has enough talent won’t be enough to quiet the questions surrounding the defense.
Arizona Provides the Next Test
The Lions don’t have much time to dwell on the Panthers loss.
Detroit travels to Arizona on Sunday for a 4:25 p.m. ET matchup with the Cardinals before entering its bye week.
The game gives the Lions an opportunity to show that Campbell’s belief in the current roster isn’t misplaced.
The defense doesn’t necessarily need to become one of the league’s best overnight.
But it does need to become more disciplined, create more turnovers and stop giving opposing offenses easy opportunities.
Campbell believes the pieces to do that are already in Detroit.
Now the Lions have to prove it on the field.
