ALLEN PARK — It’s been a doom-and-gloom type of week for the Detroit Lions.
They suffered a crushing loss on Thanksgiving, putting a big dent in their playoff hopes, and watched Frank Ragnow’s return attempt end with a failed physical. Terrion Arnold’s season is over. Kerby Joseph is working through lingering knee issues, and Amon-Ra St. Brown’s status is up in the air for Thursday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys.
See below for the three questions at the top of our mind heading into Thursday’s Lions-Cowboys game:
Where has Detroit’s pass rush gone?
Detroit’s pass rush has gone missing recently. And for a defense that relies on man coverage more than most, it’s again becoming a concerning situation.
The Lions went into last offseason with an obvious need for another pass rusher. They re-signed Marcus Davenport, let Za’Darius Smith go and drafted Ahmed Hassanein in the sixth round.
And the lack of production on the opposite side of Aidan Hutchinson has reached troubling levels. Hutchinson’s production has dipped recently, too, as he battles through continued extra attention.
The Lions have only four sacks through their previous four games, with just 2.5 of those coming from the defensive line. Hutchinson still leads the NFL with 71 pressures, ranking as one of the best pass rushers around. But he has only 16 pressures across the previous four games, which comes on the heels of posting 32 in the four games before that.
Detroit’s defense ranks dead last in time to pressure at 2.92 seconds, per Next Gen Stats.
Through Weeks 1-9, the Lions ranked fifth in splash play-rate. Edge defender Al-Quadin Muhammad led the team during that span, ranking third in the NFL at 17.8%. Hutchinson ranked 11th (16.1%).
Since Week 10, the Lions rank 25th (47.5%), as Muhammad and Hutchinson have slid from the top 15 to the 100s during this slump, per TruMedia.
Splash plays qualify as tackles for loss, sacks, pressures, run and pass stuffs, third- and fourth-down stops, interceptions, passes defended, and forced and recovered fumbles.
Heck, even defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard knows the pass rush isn’t playing good enough to play their — or any defensive — style right now.
The Dallas Cowboys have enjoyed a resurgent year on the offensive line, too. It’s opened the door for Dak Prescott, George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb to have a huge three-game span, not to mention the impressive year from running back Javonte Williams.
Can the Lions handle Dallas’ mighty interior defensive line?
Trading Micah Parsons is one of those decisions that will be questioned for as long as people are talking about football. But, to Dallas’ credit, they added Kenny Clark and then Quinnen Williams to its interior defensive line, and have watched the defense grow.
Williams ranks fourth among interior defenders, with 40 pressures to go with being the top run-stopping player at his position, per Pro Football Focus. Clark continues to create pressure, too, already surpassing last season’s total with 36.
The Lions know Clark well from all those years spent in the NFC with the Green Bay Packers. And Williams has cemented himself as one of the best game-wrecker interior defensive talents in the league.
Center Graham Glasgow has been back at practice after missing last week’s game with a knee injury. Kayode Awosika continues to start at left guard for Christian Mahogany. Those two with rookie guard Tate Ratledge are the group Detroit will have to bank on to improve its interior offensive line after Frank Ragnow failed his physical.
The Cowboys have turned in two of their best showings against the run this season through the last three games. It’s a matchup featuring one team’s strength against what has arguably been the other’s main weakness, so buckle up.
“I think you really see what they’re all about since the last four weeks,” Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said. “I mean, they’re 3-1. It’s the front; those guys are getting after it. Those two guys in the middle, and even (Jadeveon) Clowney, he’s playing at a high level right now. So, that’s going to be the thing that we have to be aware of, and we are.
“Setting the game plan up a certain way, just like we always have. But they are really getting after it upfront.”
It’s been a strange week in Allen Park. How are the Lions approaching this crucial game?
Ragnow unretired, then failed his physical, reverting to the reserve/retired list. Joseph returned to practice, then missed the next session after speaking about how badly his knee is messed up. Arnold was placed on injured reserve and will miss the rest of the year due to shoulder surgery. St. Brown is also dealing with an ankle injury at the worst possible time, with his status uncertain.
Oh, and the team’s playoff chances took a big hit with their Thanksgiving loss, paired with some unfortunate outcomes around the league. NFL Network has the Lions with a 42% chance of making the postseason, while The Athletic is lower at 30%.
It’s been a weird and tough week in Allen Park.
At 7-5, with a key NFC matchup up next, the Lions are talking about showing grit, urgency and a belief in their ability to control their own destiny. Another loss, especially against the Cowboys, would sink their playoff chances to unthinkable levels, though.
Losing to the Cowboys would put the Lions behind the eight-ball inside the playoff standings, and in a situation where it’s nearly win out or bust. So, yeah, this game is a lot more important than anyone might have foreseen just one month ago.
Detroit has lost four of its last seven games. But they also haven’t lost back-to-back games since 2022, and they need to keep that streak alive more than ever before. It’s a new position for a lot of their players and coaches, but those like Hutchinson, Penei Sewell, St. Brown, Taylor Decker and Jared Goff have been here before.
“We’ve got plenty that have been through it, and so, they’ve got an idea of what it is,” Campbell said. “And you just go back to work, you put your head down, and you clean up the little things because the little things are what win games in this league. So, you’re sitting here two years ago, and you’re doing backflips. But now all of the sudden, with where we’re at it feels down because we’ve done some pretty good things over the last two years.
“But you can’t worry about it, and all you can do is handle your own business, handle your own play, your own coaching and go out there and play the best game you can play, execute.”
