Tag: Aaron Glenn

Lions rookie CB Terrion Arnold keeps getting better

Lions rookie CB Terrion Arnold keeps getting better by the week

It’s been far from perfect through four games played for Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold. He’s dealt with a hand injury and knee injury but that hasn’t kept him off the field for very long. Arnold’s played in 257 defensive snaps and that is 3rd most for the Lions this season.

Through all of that, Arnold has played up and down for the first quarter of the season. He’s allowed 16 receptions for 164 yards and one touchdown. Fortunately, he’s gotten better each week in coverage. The last two weeks, Arnold has been targeted 17 times but he’s only allowed 6 receptions for 65 yards.

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The bigger concern is the penalties that Arnold continues to get called for in these games. Through four games, he’s been called for eight penalties and five of those have been pass interference penalties. For the Lions, it seems evident that they’d rather have a physical defender over a defender that shy’s away from contact and consistently gets lost in space.

When listening to Dan Campbell and the Lions coaching staff, there doesn’t appear to be that much concern about Terrion Arnold. Specifically about the penalties. Every Wednesday, Campbell speaks with 97.1 The Ticket and yesterday, Campbell talked about Arnold. He said, “It’s something we talked about. We had our big practice yesterday, our big first down, full-pad practice. Those are to really work your craft and really hone in your skill, get better at it.”

Campbell continued and said, “there’s gonna be this give and take that goes down if you’re gonna compete with a receiver. Look, it’s a point of emphasis and he’s gonna be fine. He just keeps working through it and he knows what it is, but we need him to continue to compete and challenge on the perimeter.”

Overall, Arnold has  been in-phase when playing in coverage. He’s not allowing very big passing windows for quarterbacks and it feels like those windows will become non-existent soon. Sure, he’s got to improve on when and when not to grab a receiver with his hands but as the season continues, it looks like Arnold is only going to get better.

Aaron Glenn is still not a fan of using a QB spy

Lions defensive coordinator bristled against the idea of using a quarterback spy on Cardinals QB Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray is one of the most dangerous running quarterbacks in the NFL. His legs are a weapon that the Arizona Cardinals use to help make their offense more dynamic, and that presents a serious challenge to all defenses.

The Detroit Lions are no exception. In fact, the Lions might be more vulnerable than most NFL defenses to Murray’s running ability. Quarterbacks who can run have been a chronic sore point for Detroit’s defenses under coordinator Aaron Glenn, who are otherwise among the NFL’s elite at stopping the run.

Glenn typically eschews using a “quarterback spy,” typically a safety or fleet-footed linebacker whose role is to keep the mobile quarterbacks from running. Whether it’s Justin Fields, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson — even Baker Mayfield in the Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers, Glenn’s defenses have been quite vulnerable to quarterbacks who tuck and run by design.

It’s safe to say Glenn isn’t going to add the QB spy role to the gameplan against Muttay and the Cardinals this week, either. When asked about the idea in his weekly press conference, Glenn took issue.

“Why do you guys always ask that?” an agitated Glenn responded tersely. “Did you see Buffalo do it? What happened? I’m asking. We have to do a really good job keeping him contained. That could be quarterback spy, that could be rushing five, that can be rushing six. The fact of the matter is, you have to keep him contained, and I know that’s the in-vogue thing that everyone talks about – it’s quarterback spy, quarterback spy. I wish you guys would actually look at the film and see what happens when that happens, for the most part.”

The Buffalo game Glenn referred to was in Week 1, a 34-28 Bills win where Murray ran five times for 57 yards. On the season, Murray has 110 yards on just 10 carries, including three runs of more than 20 yards.

Aside from Glenn’s schematic aversion to a QB spy, the two Lions defenders who are the best candidates for the role are injured. Linebacker Alex Anzalone (concussion) was limited in Thursday’s practice as he attempts to return from a concussion. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu has been out for over a month with an ankle injury and is not expected to play in Arizona.

Glenn did acknowledge that the Lions will present some different looks to Murray and the Cardinals in an effort to slow down the Arizona offense.

“Well, I will tell you this, each week we try to be different. Either that’s five-down (DL), like you say we are, or four-down (DL), like we can be, or make it look like five-down, but we’re actually in four-down because we’re dropping a guy out. So anytime you can give an offense different looks like that, I think it gives them a little hesitation on how they have to block and how they have to target these blocks.”

Aaron Glenn wants Terrion Arnold to remain aggressive despite the penalties

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn wants Terrion Arnold to remain aggressive despite the rookie CB’s penalties in Week 1

Terrion Arnold had a pretty impressive NFL debut playing cornerback, all things considered. Facing off against two of the best wideouts in the NFL in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua (until he got hurt) with a gunslinger like Matthew Stafford at quarterback is a very tough first assignment.

Arnold fared pretty well in coverage and also in run support. He surrendered some completions but did a good job of making sure they didn’t become big plays. However, Arnold was flagged twice for defensive pass interference. Each led to a Rams score.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn knows it isn’t easy to dive right into the deep end like Arnold did, and paid for it with the penalties. Glenn, a former Pro Bowl cornerback himself, knows the pro game is officiated differently than the college on.

Glenn was asked if Arnold has to learn to adjust to the different way NFL officials call the game.

“That’s exactly it,” Glenn responded. “You have to adjust to how the NFL calls these things and this is an offensive league. We know that. You’re absolutely right about how it is in college and that’s one thing that he has to adjust to, and we did a lot of work on that this week in practice. We’re going to continue to work on that.”

Glenn continued, stressing that he still wants Arnold to be aggressive in coverage,

“And he knows that when he came in. He knows it’s going to be different. He understands the magnitude of how the NFL sees offensive football, so we just have to continue to work on those things. But I will not tell him to slow down and take his aggressiveness away from him.”

Film Review: CB Amik Robertson has a strong debut for the Lions defense

Film Review: CB Amik Robertson has a strong debut for the Lions defense in the preseason opener vs. the Giants

When we got to the off-season, the Detroit Lions made a few different moves. They signed Kevin Zeitler to improve the offensive line and they traded for Carlton Davis to get the secondary corrected. It’s only been a few weeks of training camp but it’s starting to feel like signing cornerback Amik Robertson is their most underrated move this off-season.

Especially after his strong debut for the Lions in the first preseason game.

Robertson played 18 defensive snaps and also played some on special teams. In fact, he made the tackle on the opening kickoff for the game. From there, he was targeted twice and forced two incompletions. This was good enough to earn a 88.2 coverage grade from PFF. Let’s dive into some film to see how well Robertson played on defense!

Starting with the opening drive of the game, we’re going to see a great pass breakup from Robertson (No. 21). On the play above, the Giants are going to run an RPO out of ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end). With this, the Giants quarterback is going to be able to give the ball to the running back or pull it and throw the slant route being ran from the slot receiver.

However, Robertson is in great position through the entire play. Before the snap, you’ll see Robertson shift into off-man. Once the slot receiver breaks to the middle of the field, you’ll see him make a break on the ball.

Getting tight to the outside hip of the receiver, he’s in great position to either make a tackle or better yet, get around the receiver and play the football. He does just that and is able to get an arm over the receiver and break the pass up. This is textbook from Robertson and hopefully, it’s something that can do frequently in the regular season.

Next, I want to focus on some of the physicality from Robertson. Ever since he was in college, he’s always been a physical player. While he may be small in stature, he certainly packs a punch.

Looking at the play above, the Giants come out under center with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end). Playing in the box, you’ll see Robertson (#21) and he fills quickly on this run. Slowing the running back up is Brodric Martin (#99) due to his ability to just throw the center behind him.

Cleaning up on the tackle is Robertson, who lowers his pad level and drops the running back. These types of tackles will get played over and over in the film room and it will certainly win over this Lions coaching staff.

The good news for Robertson is that he seems to be the leader of the pack for the nickel role on the Lions defense. Even though he’s setting the bar higher and higher by the day, he’s certainly good enough to reach the expectations that will be set for him and this defense.

We’ll see how many snaps he plays this weekend in the Lions second preseason game against the Chiefs. If it’s fewer than the week before, then that should tell you he’s close to locking up a starting spot on the defense. That’s what I’m expecting after his strong debut against the Giants last week.

Lions defensive line depth could be the strength of the defense

Lions defensive line depth could be the strength of the defense, notes Lions Wire’s Russell Brown

As we all await for the Detroit Lions season to get started, it’s fun to look at their schedule, depth chart and speculate the potential of the season. When looking at the Lions defense, it’s hard to look past their defensive line. The depth from this unit runs deep and the 53-man roster could easily see 10-to-12 players from the defensive line on it.

The projected starters are currently:

  • Aidan Hutchinson
  • D.J. Reader
  • Alim McNeill
  • Marcus Davenport

But as we’ve seen under Aaron Glenn’s defense, the Lions use players up front on a situational basis. The key depth players could be the following:

  • John Cominsky
  • Josh Paschal
  • Levi Onwuzurike

It’s expected that a player such as Brodric Martin could really take a big step forward this season. He appears to be in much better football shape than he was a season ago and if Reader or McNeill struggle with any type of injury, he could be the next man up.

Adding to that, the Lions added Mekhi Wingo from LSU in the 2024 NFL Draft. Recently, I discussed him as a potential underrated player to the Lions defense so we’ll need to see what he does in a situational role for the team.

That alone gives the Lions nine defensive lineman that should see the field on a consistent basis. The wildcards of the group are James Houston, Kyle Peko and Mathieu Betts.

Starting with Betts, he’s coming off an 18-sack season in the CFL and not only did it earn him a contract with the Lions but it also helped him win the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award. While he is 29-years old, I’d have to think he should find a spot on the roster but nothing is guaranteed. He was brought onto the roster to compete and my guess is that he’s here to compete with James Houston.

Things are interesting with Houston. He broke his ankle in week 2 last season and was placed on injured reserve. Despite being activated off the IR in January of 2024, the Lions never played him. Houston did have 8 sacks as a rookie and he does provide plenty of juice off the edge. However, comments from Dan Campbell last season makes me wonder if he’s a player on the bubble this summer.

Lastly, the expectations shouldn’t be overly high for Kyle Peko. He’s got familiarity with Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams but he’s primarily been a rotational player in his career. With the Lions already having depth on the interior, he could be the odd man out this summer.

Regardless, the Lions have a deep roster of defensive lineman. With any down and distance, we could see any combination on the field. Those combinations should play to the strengths of the defense and it could be the difference maker to help this unit stay more consistent for the 2024 season.

Marcus Davenport: What the Lions are getting in their free agent DE

Marcus Davenport: Breaking down the scouting report on the new Detroit Lions DE signed in free agency

It’s been no secret that the Lions needed to find improvements at certain positions on defense. Just off the top, cornerback and defensive end have been the most commonly discussed positions for improvement on defense. During the first day of free agency, the Lions jumped right in to find those improvements.

Prior to striking a deal to trade for cornerback Carlton Davis, the Lions signed defensive end Marcus Davenport. The deal is a one-year deal with a base salary of $6.5 million dollars, but it’s an incentive-based deal that can become a max deal worth $10 million dollars.

For Lions fans, you can live with a low-risk move that could pay off big time. Especially if Davenport is able to play and potentially start in 9 games or more. Health will be the key concern with Davenport. Injuries have plagued his career.

Last season, he suffered a high ankle sprain. This placed him on injured reserve and he was only limited to 4 games played. Despite only playing in four games, he was able to record 7 tackles and 2 sacks for the Vikings.

Before signing a one year deal with the Vikings in free agency last year, Davenport was a first round pick to the New Orleans Saints in the 2018 NFL Draft. Through five seasons with the Saints, he played in 62 games and recorded 21.5 sacks. However, injuries limited his growth and ability to stay in New Orleans or land a long-term deal anywhere else.

As Davenport entered his fifth and final season with the Saints, it was announced that he needed five off-season surgeries. Two were on his shoulder, and three were on his left hand. Aaron Glenn and Dan Campbell are familiar with Davenport, as well. After all, they were in New Orleans when the Saints selected him in the first round.

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If he can stay on the field, this would be a move that I could see pay off in a big way for the Lions defensive line. With Davenport being 6-foot-5 and 264 pounds, he fits the mold of players they’re searching for at defensive end. He should be able to provide versatility within the Lions defensive line and ultimately, he’s another chess piece for Aaron Glenn to use on defense.

Lions may be out of pursuit for Marshon Lattimore

The Detroit Lions may be out on Marshon Lattimore. They’ve agreed to trade for another No. 1 corner from one of the Saints’ division rivals:

On the first day of the legal tampering window, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to a trade with the Detroit Lions sending cornerback Carlton Davis and a couple of late-round draft picks to Detroit in exchange for a third-round pick. The addition of Davis as Detroit’s new number-one cornerback might take them out of the running for New Orleans Saints corner Marshon Lattimore, who has been the subject of trade chatter this offseason.

It was noted prior to free agency that Detroit would be aggressively pursuing the cornerback market this offseason. With the ties that Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell and his fellow defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn have with the Saints, it seemed as though Detroit would be a very likely landing spot for Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore if the team does decide to move on from him.

With the Lions acquiring Davis, this just about concludes the possibility of Lattimore being shipped out to Detroit. However, what makes one wonder is the fact that the Lions didn’t have a second-round pick for flexibility to help facilitate a trade for Lattimore. Giving up a first rounder may have been too rich knowing that they wouldn’t have been picking until the late in the third round this year, but who knows.

The benefit for Saints fans is that one of the top corners in their division is out of the door and they will no longer have to worry about competing against him. And if this development helps keep Lattimore in New Orleans, well: that would be a welcome bonus.

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Marcus Davenport to reunite with his old coaches on the Lions

Marcus Davenport is planning to reunite with some of his old coaches on the Lions. It’s a Saints reunion in Detroit:

A former New Orleans Saints draft pick is headed to the Detroit Lions as Marcus Davenport agreed to a one-year deal to reunite with some of his old coaches, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network.

Davenport started his career in New Orleans as a first-round draft pick in 2018. He spent five seasons and accumulated 21.5 sacks. He was never able to stay healthy for a full season in New Orleans and production was lacking so the two sides decided to part ways after 2022. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings for 2023, but appeared in just four games due to injury finished with two sacks.

Now, he heads to Detroit on another prove-it deal. He’ll be back with Aaron Glenn and Dan Campbell in a new environment as he tries to get his career back on track.

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Commanders hire Dan Quinn to be head coach

Commanders hire Dan Quinn to be head coach, which means Aaron Glenn will be back

The final head coaching vacancy on the NFL coaching carousel got filled on Thursday. The Washington Commanders hired former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their new head coach.

From a Lions standpoint, of course, the hiring means that defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will not be leaving for Washington. Glenn was one of the finalists for the position, including an in-person second interview this week.

Glenn wasn’t the only Lions assistant coach who the Commanders courted. Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson withdrew his name from consideration earlier this week while the Commanders were headed to Detroit for another interview.

Where are the Commanders in their search for a new coach?

What’s the latest on Washington’s head coaching search?

The 2024 NFL hiring cycle is now completed, as each NFL head coach opening has been filled.

Oh wait, there is that one opening that is frustrating for Washington fans. Is the cause-and-effect relationship of Daniel Snyder owning the team still producing such negative perceptions that the Commanders are still being rejected?

We don’t really know at this time. Could it be Washington owner Josh Harris and new GM Adam Peters have set boundaries or standards, and it is, in fact, Washington that has yet to make the move?

Wednesday saw Ravens’ DC Mike Macdonald accept the Seahawks head coaching position, though Macdonald’s wife is from the DMV area and was even a cheerleader for the Redskins!

During this hiring cycle, the Chargers have hired Jim Harbaugh, the Falcons grabbed Raheem Morris. The Titans made Brian Callahan their new man, while the Raiders promoted former Washington linebacker Antonio Pierce from interim head coach to head coach.

Jerod Mayo was the man Robert Kraft wanted to follow Bill Belichick in New England. Panthers owner David Tepper tapped the least known of the candidates, Dave Canales, for their new head coach.

Might it be that the Commanders have actually been rejected this hiring cycle, each time they have asked for a date to the dance?

What about Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn? Why have the Commanders interviewed Quinn a second time and not yet named him their head coach? We don’t know the reason, but we do know it takes two to agree to dance.

If Harris and Peters really wanted Quinn, hasn’t he been available to be hired since the Cowboys Wild Card round playoff loss to the Packers? Does Quinn really want to come to Washington? Or might Quinn actually be willing to wait one more season in Dallas for their head coaching job next offseason?

Now that all the other head coaching jobs are taken, what is the hurry for the Commanders? They could theoretically take their time, introducing another prospect they have yet to interview. For example, might Peters now be interested in Mike Vrabel?

Or might they now limit the list of prospects to three: Aaron Glenn (Lions DC), Anthony Weaver (Ravens DL), and Dan Quinn?

The search continues for the Commanders.

One thing we should all recognize by now is that we have no idea where they are in their process.