The Detroit Lions showed a complete win on Monday Night Football, showing Super Bowl-level quality on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
Now, the job is repeating that success week after week.
The Lions (2-1) are playing the Cleveland Browns (1-2) in a Week 4 matchup at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 28. The game will be broadcast on Fox with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. ET and comes after a 38-30 road victory over the Ravens on Monday, Sept. 22.
Though a home game against the Browns should present less of a challenge than their road game against the Ravens, the Lions are facing a short week, with one fewer day to prepare for Sunday’s game than usual.
Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad, who played a big role in keeping Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson off-kilter on Monday, was seen back at practice after missing Wednesday’s walk-through with an unspecified knee injury.
Offensive coordinator John Morton and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard also spoke from the team’s training facility in Allen Park before practice on Thursday. Here’s how it happened.
Al-Quadin Muhammad back at practice
Lions edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad, who missed practice on Wednesday with a knee injury, was seen back at Lions practice on Thursday.
Muhammad, who is replacing an injured Marcus Davenport on the defensive line, was a key player in the Lions win over the Ravens on Monday, recording 2½ sacks on Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Two key players were missing from practice: offensive tackle Taylor Decker and running back Sione Vaki. Decker has been dealing with a shoulder injury, while Vaki left Monday’s game with a groin injury.
Dan Campbell called 4th-down pitch play from Amon-Ra St. Brown to Jahmyr Gibbs
According to Lions offensive coordinator John Morton, the “Red Saint Gibbs” play to score on 4th-and-1 in the red zone in the fourth quarter against the Ravens on Monday was called by coach Dan Campbell.
“When he wants a certain play, he gives it to me,” Morton said.
Facing a fourth down on the Ravens’ 3-yard line with the game tied at 21-21 early in the fourth quarter, Lions quarterback Jared Goff handed the ball off to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was lined up in the fullback position. St. Brown immediately pitched it to running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who beat his defender on the outside and scored the go-ahead touchdown.
Despite not taking credit for the play, Morton was happy with the play call that was years in the making.
“They’ve been doing this play here for years, so I’ve always loved it,” he said. “It was the right look for the right defense.”
Myles Garrett a big challenge for Lions offense in Browns game
According to Lions’ offensive coordinator John Morton, the Lions’ offense has a tough challenge coming up against the Browns’ defensive line.
“When you got a front line like that, you can do pretty much anything you want,” Morton said of the Browns.
The Browns have the top rushing defense in the NFL in 2025, allowing just 57.3 yards per game on the ground. Additionally, their edge rushing feature the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett, who had 14 sacks in 2024 and already has four in over three games in 2025.
“So we take care of ourselves and stop (Garrett), or at least control him,” he said. “(We) can’t let him break this game.”
Kelvin Sheppard “not pleased” with parts of Lions defense against Ravens
In his Thursday morning press conference Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard praised some aspects of his team’s defensive effort, but ultimately landed on disappointment for the unit’s overall performance.
“There’s a lot of things there I didn’t like with the game that I also expressed and shared with them, (we’re) not pleased with giving up 30 points,” he said. “That’s not okay. That’s not the standard of who we are as a defense here.”
After an opening drive where the Ravens ran all over the Lions, Detroit clamped down, allowing 85 total rushing yards to a high-powered offense and sacking Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson seven times, which tied a record against the two-time MVP.
Still, Sheppard expressed how he wishes the defense would get going a little earlier in the game.
“I want to start the game with a three-and-out,” he said.
Terrion Arnold still has support of Kelvin Sheppard
Lions second-year cornerback Terrion Arnold appeared to struggle in Detroit’s win over the Ravens on Monday night, but Lions’ defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard praised him for plays the broadcast camera may not have picked up.
“You know why we were able to knock out the run game? Because (Arnold) was playing with no help behind him for probably 50% of that game,” Sheppard said.
Sheppard also said that there is “no excuse” for Arnold getting beat on pass plays, but added that there is still room for Arnold to grow as a player.
“This kid is very young,” he said. “All we have to do right now is find a way to bring the confidence that we saw when (he) was out there against Jameson Williams and (Amon-Ra) St. Brown at camp to game day.”
Sione Vaki’s injury could shake up kick return unit
Lions running back Sione Vaki, who left the Baltimore game with a groin injury, has played an instrumental part on the Lions’ special teams as a kick returner. Detroit’s special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said that while he doesn’t know whether Vaki’s injury would take him out of the team’s next game against the Browns, he would consider using primary punt returner Kalif Raymond as a kick returner if needed.
“It’s kind of been our goal to keep (Raymond) out of there early on, anyway,” Fipp said. “He’s playing 30 plus times on offense and (we’re) just trying to balance that.”
Jake Bates’s 67-yard FG attempt, per Dave Fipp
Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said he didn’t have any special advice for Lions kicker Jake Bates ahead of his 67-yard field goal attempt during Monday’s win against the Ravens.
“Let it rip,” he said he told Bates. “I’m excited for the next time he gets that chance.”
The kick, which would have set the NFL record for field-goal distance, went wide of the goalpost but had enough distance according to Fipp.
Lions vs Browns game for Week 4: How to watch
Time: 1 p.m. ET.
Where: Ford Field, Detroit.
TV Channel: Fox.
Streaming: On Fubo (free trial) and Fox One app.
Radio: WXYT-FM, 97.1 (Lions radio affiliates) and nationally on Westwood One.
Watch Lions vs Browns on Fubo
Lions vs Browns betting odds
Betting odds are courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday morning.
Detroit Lions schedule 2025
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions coordinators address media ahead of game vs Cleveland Browns: Analysis
Reporting by Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
