Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard calls his defense “the firefighters” of the team, capable of extinguishing any blaze that pops up around them.
They did it in last week’s 16-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, holding the Eagles to six points on three drives that started in Lions’ territory and limiting the Eagles to 272 yards overall.
But as proud as he was of that effort, Sheppard made a point to highlight one area his unit let the team down last week.
“It was the takeaway category,” Sheppard said Thursday, Nov. 20. “That’s something, the way that game was structured on that night, our offense needed one more possession. And that kind of was the nature of that game. So that was the one thing, if I could kind of look to anything that we could have improved upon, it would have been stealing a possession for our offense.”
The Lions are tied for 13th in the NFL with 12 takeaways through 10 games, but their turnover production has plummeted in recent weeks.
The Lions have three takeaways in the past five games and one fumble recovery since the start of October.
“I think it’s just more awareness from the offensive standpoint on ball security,” Sheppard said. “I think it’s heightened, I think guys learn from their mistakes throughout the league. But at the same time, that’s not making an excuse. We have to find ways to generate those. Not guys going outside of the scheme, but within the scheme and within the framework, finding ways to kind of – more attempts on the ball, ball in there, got to be our mentality.”
Not caught sleeping
Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp added some context to coach Dan Campbell’s declaration this week that the Lions got exactly the look they wanted on their failed fake punt against the Eagles, when Philadelphia kept its defense on the field.
Fipp said the Lions hoped to catch the Eagles off guard on the play, essentially banking that by playing for a fake punt the Eagles wouldn’t be ready to defend the fake.
“It doesn’t sound good, but sometimes what doesn’t sound good actually ends up being good,” Fipp said. “I think if you look around the league through the years you’ll see a handful of times where the defense has been on the field and what happens, those guys they don’t think that the ball’s going to get run on them because they’re out there and every time they’re out there they just punt the ball. And then all of a sudden, you get up underneath their pads and you roll them back for a yard and it happens so quick on a guy that it ends up working out.
“And so I would just say there’s a number of examples of that happening through the years in this league where a guy gets caught off guard, and the gist of the play was more along those lines.”
On the fake, linebacker Grant Stuard, the personal protector on the punt team, was stopped for no gain on a run up the middle when Eagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo got penetration at the line of scrimmage.
The Lions turned the ball over on downs at their own 43-yard line and the Eagles kicked a field goal nine plays later to take a 6-0 lead.
Fipp said the Eagles appeared to be on alert for a fake on the play but didn’t play it that much different from other punt plays they’ve kept their defense on the field this year.
Ultimately, he said, if the Lions had coached and executed he play better it might have worked.
“I think if you just say go along with the fact that we’re never going to take a risk or take a chance well then you would never ever fake it or do any of that,” he said.
Sam I am
The Lions felt tight end Sam LaPorta’s absence, particularly in their inability to convert third downs (3-for-13), last week against the Eagles.
But offensive coordinator John Morton said there was another area where the offense dearly missed having its No. 1 tight end on the field.
“His blocking on first and second down,” Morton said. “I mean the way he’s improved with his blocking, it’s just been awesome. So, our other guys – all the tight ends have got to step up.”
LaPorta must miss at least the next three games after the Lions place him on injured reserve with a back injury last week.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said after the Eagles game he’s not sure when LaPorta will return or if he will this year.
“Not having LaPorta, it’s a tough deal,” Morton said. “I always smile when you bring up LaPorta, I’m not smiling right now.”
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions defense played great vs Eagles, but missing one thing
Reporting by Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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