Terrion Arnold’s performance against the Bears is a beautiful problem for the Lions defense
Whenever looking at the analytics for a player after a game, I never take it at face value. The data that gets charted on a player’s performance is a nice tool to have, but it doesn’t always tell the real story. That happens to be the case for Lions rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold after playing the Bears last week.
Looking at the data pulled from Pro Football Focus (PFF), Arnold was rated as one of the bottom-5 defenders for the Lions defense last week. He earned a 46.1 overall grade and has an overall grade of 49.5 this season.
However, when studying the tape against the Bears, it tells a different story about Terrion Arnold and his performance. Meanwhile, the Lions are faced with a beautiful problem with Arnold and his importance to the Lions’ defense. Let’s dive into some tape to look at what went right and what went wrong for Arnold on Thanksgiving!
Starting with what could have been the first career interception for Terrion Arnold, we go with the play above. Looking at that play, you’ll see see the Bears come out under center with their ’12’ personnel (one running back and two tight ends).
Playing with outside leverage on the bottom of the screen, you’ll see Arnold. Once the ball is snapped and the receiver releases up the field, you’ll see Arnold right behind the receiver. Using a trail technique, Arnold is in a great position to undercut a pass vertically down the field but he’s also in a good position to jump any route that breaks in, out or back to the quarterback.
In this instance, the wide receiver appears to be running some type of comeback or curl route. However, Arnold is in great position and is all over the route. Unfortunately, the ball is thrown somewhat lower than expected and Arnold isn’t able to get a hold of the ball for the interception. The good news is that Arnold was there and he made a great play on 2nd down.
Next, I want to focus on what could have been for Terrion Arnold. The play above could have been a huge play that would have prevented the Bears from scoring a touchdown on the following play.
Looking at the play above, you can see Arnold at the bottom of the screen and he’s playing with outside leverage. By playing with outside leverage, he forces Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze to release inside. This is good for Arnold because he’s got safety Kerby Joseph playing over the top and inside with potentially some expectation of jumping an inside route such as a post, dig or slant.
The unfortunate reality is that Arnold bites on the head fake to the inside and this gives Bears quarterback Caleb Williams a passing window to the outside. Despite being right there, the ball is completed for the first down and the Bears get the ball inside the Lions 10-yard line for first-and-goal. Had Arnold been able to break this pass up, it would have been a huge stop for the Lions on 3rd down.
As you can see, the data will paint one picture but the film paints another. There was a lot of good to come from Terrion Arnold in this game against the Bears. Personally, I think it was his best game as a rookie and that’s promising for a Lions defense that has been depleted by injuries and is currently dealing with a knee and thumb injury for the cornerback opposite of Arnold in Carlton Davis.
Against the Bears, Arnold was credited with giving up 2 receptions for 6 yards despite being targeted 6 times. He did record one tackle and a pass deflection in this game. Overall, it was a good bounce back performance for Arnold after missing the Colts game with a groin injury.
For us fans, we need to remain patient with Terrion Arnold. Meanwhile, he needs to continue to stay patient and disciplined when dropping into coverage. If he does, good things will turn into great things for him and the Lions defense.
