Getty Dan Campbell speaks to the media before Lions training camp in July 2021.
The Detroit Lions have had plenty of things go right this preseason in spite of a couple tough losses, but one element of concern that has arisen revolves around rookie offensive tackle Penei Sewell.
Sewell has struggled early on for the Lions in terms of his play, and that has led some within the fanbase as well as outside of it to push down the panic button very firmly. One person not panicking, however, is Detroit head coach Dan Campbell.
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Campbell defended Sewell’s rough start to the preseason against the Buffalo Bills already, and after another tough game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he continued to say that he believes in the seasoning the youngster is getting and what he is bringing to the mix.
“I think that the more (reps) he gets, the better it is for him. I think that he got beat a few times, but I’m not discouraged, and neither should he be,” Campbell told the media. “The important thing is he learns from that. Every time he gets a fastball from a dang good rusher like Melvin Ingram, those are so beneficial for Sewell to see and learn from and adjust. So I’m encouraged. Yeah, there were some things that came up but he’ll only be better for those. I know you guys probably get tired of me saying it, but it just is. For him to get different looks against different players, it’s good for those guys. So I think he needs more reps because it will benefit him.”
Sewell is still getting his sea legs under him after a year off, and also learning a new position, so Campbell is smart not to panic about what is going on. The fact that he is still encouraged should be comforting to nervous Detroit fans at this point in time.
Penei Sewell Might Play Big Role During Preseason Finale
So how does Campbell plan to get Sewell more reps? The answer could be found in the team’s final preseason game. Perhaps reading in between the lines, Justin Rogers of the Detroit News tweeted that it wouldn’t be a shock to see Sewell playing a lot of minutes in the third and final preseason game as a result of what his coach was talking about this week.
Sounds like Sewell should see a decent amount of work in the third preseason game. Campbell said the more reps the better for the rookie after getting beat a few times by speed rushes against the Steelers. Coach said those mistakes are so beneficial for him to learn.
Typically, the final preseason game is a barren landscape for starters, but the Lions could choose to let some players go, and Sewell could be one. If that is the case, it is only because the coaching staff wants to try and continue to get him some more seasoning ahead of the start of 2021.
Daniel Jeremiah Explains Penei Sewell’s Early Struggles
So why is Sewell struggling? Though he didn’t have the ugly game he had in Week 1 of the preseason, at times, he scuffled again when taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Such is life when a player is trying to learn the ropes in the NFL at a new position after sitting for a season in college.
NFL Network analyst and draft guru Daniel Jeremiah was watching and realized that Sewell was struggling right away, which he tweeted about during the game.
Sewell doesn’t look comfortable.
According to Jeremiah, the issue he sees with Sewell early on is one of the ones that he pointed out during the draft process in terms of balance.
@mortreport Seeing some of same balance issues.
While many on Twitter were making the case that Sewell skipped a year and is still getting his legs under him, Jeremiah didn’t seem to be buying that excuse.
@PSchrags @greggrosenthal True but Slater, Rousseau & Parsons look great. Everyone is different. Don’t love the position switch but time will tell.
All-told, the Lions will have to monitor Sewell’s progress. It’s tough to judge him after a pair of his first starts in the league, ad that is just what Campbell seems to think is happening.
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