Getty Alim McNeill celebrates a play in a 2022 game against Seattle.
The Detroit Lions defense has been getting pushed around to start the 2022 season, but a measure of change seemed to take place in Week 7.
While the team lost 24-6, the game was much closer than the score indicated, and that was due to some improvements in the scheme as well as some elevated play in the trenches.
Defensive tackle Josh Paschal stepped up and played a major role for the team, and it was evident by the end of the day that he could be a huge piece for the defense moving forward. That’s even more the case if you listen to defensive tackle Alim McNeill speak.
Speaking to the media on Monday, October 24, McNeill was asked what it was like to play alongside Paschal up front. As he said, the fact Paschal essentially came in cold without training camp or the preseason for prep and showed such toughness is huge.
“Josh brought a lot of physicality. He played very physical. For it to be his first game, you wouldn’t really know honestly. I want to say he played like 56 snaps, so he was in shape to do it. Josh brings a lot of physicality, good rushes off the edge. He just brings a lot of energy, a lot of juice,” McNeill said. “I’m excited to see how Josh pans out because for that to be his first game, that was crazy for him to play 60 snaps like that, that’s good.”
Paschal is a versatile piece for the Lions and their defensive front, and with McNeill roaming around in the middle as well, the team has a young front with plenty of upside.
Many didn’t know about Paschal given he was limited by hernia recovery to start the year, but it’s clear that patience could be set to pay off for the Lions in a massive way.
Paschal’s Sharp Debut Encouraging for Lions
Activated in Dallas, Paschal wasted no time proving how he could change the trajectory of the Detroit defense himself. Active on the edge, Paschal helped string out multiple run plays. He also helped others look active including fellow rookie Aidan Hutchinson.
The Detroit Lions moved Aidan Hutchinson to Rush Edge with Josh Paschal stepping in as the Base End.
The move has worked wonders, with Hutchinson recording his 2nd sack of the day. #OnePride
Paschal would only finish with two tackles, but it was easy to see the impact he made on the field and how positive it was. With that in mind, he may indeed change Detroit’s defense in the second half if he can stay healthy.
A key for the Lions will be good defensive line play, and the addition of Paschal could prove to be huge the rest of the way. He will continue to learn, but a solid debut without much time to sharpen in camp or the preseason shows why hope should be so high.
As McNeill seems to know, Paschal is going to be a key piece for the Lions moving forward.
McNeill Excited With Jeff Okudah’s Run Support
During the game, it wasn’t just Paschal that was impressive for the Lions. Cornerback Jeff Okudah stepped up and made his presence felt in the run game as well, piling up the tackles and the big plays.
That impact was something that McNeill was very happy about as well. As he said, he loved seeing Okudah throw his weight around on the ground and get involved on the field near the defensive line.
“I was excited actually to see Jeff come down like that. I want to say he had 15 tackles, but Jeff was coming downhill. He was just being the elite corner that Jeff is,” McNeill said. “It gets exciting for sure because you know the way they were scheming things up, they were putting our corner in the fit so you know he came down and he did what he had to do. He was laying the wood for sure, so it’s exciting to see Jeff come down and do that.”
Between Paschal and Okudah, McNeill finally had some support in the run defense department. That’s an exciting development for the Lions and their defense.