Detroit Lions superstar linebacker Jack Campbell refused to make any excuses following his team’s Week 4 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday Night Football while also refusing to let analysts, critics or fans pin the blame for the defense’s struggles on coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.
Instead, Campbell told reporters to hang the unit’s struggles around his neck and those of his teammates after Detroit surrendered 445 total yards of offense and 32 points to quarterback Bryce Young and the Panthers in primetime.
“We’re out there and we make the scheme come alive. So honestly, put it on me. Put it on the players,” Campbell said, per a report from Nolan Bianchi of Detroit News on Sunday, October 4. “But I mean, Shep — he works hard. [Head coach] Dan [Campbell] believes in him. I believe in him. He’s made of the right stuff.”
Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Refuses to Address DC Kelvin Sheppard’s Job Status After Loss to Panthers
Dan Campbell refused to speak specifically about Sheppard’s job security following the game. Meanwhile, the Detroit defense has now surrendered 127 points across four outings this season, which averages just under 32 points allowed per contest.
However, Campbell did say that regardless of the difficulty of any decision he might eventually face, he will move forward with the best interests of the players, and the team overall, in mind.
“Dan Campbell adds that he does reserve the right to make a change at DC if he feels like it’s right for the team and reiterates that he’s always going to do what’s right for the players,” Bianchi posted to X.
Lions’ Injured, Struggling Secondary Atop List of Culprits for Defensive Woes
While Jack Campbell is correct in pointing out that the players as a group deserve to shoulder a significant amount of responsibility for the defense’s shortcomings this season, he himself is not the problem.
However, injuries to important position groups, namely the secondary, as well as poor roster planning and bad personnel decisions from the front office, have compounded what was already a weakness across the third level of the defense.
Starting safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch remain sidelined with injuries. Detroit released cornerback Terrion Arnold two years after drafting him in the first round due to serious off-field legal issues. And Arnold was not playing particularly well during his first two NFL seasons before a Florida court charged him with four felony counts of armed robbery and four felony counts of kidnapping over the offseason.
Safety Avonte Maddox is also on the injured reserve list (IR) following foot surgery.
The Lions can explore free agency for help in the secondary, or they can attempt to make a trade ahead of the league’s November 10 deadline.
Lions’ Jack Campbell Has Powerful Words for Kelvin Sheppard Amid Calls for Job