Lions coach Dan Campbell has the perfect attitude regarding Detroit’s mounting injuries on defense.
The Detroit Lions defense is going through some serious attrition right now. Injuries have wreaked havoc on the depth chart, and the team has been forced to hand significant roles to players who have only been in the building for a month.
But Lions coach Dan Campbell doesn’t want any sympathy. After Thursday’s win over the Chicago Bears—in which three defensive starters left and did not return (Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike, and Malcolm Rodriguez)—Campbell was asked if he feels snakebitten with all of the mounting injuries on that side of the ball. In short, it was clear Campbell had no interest in sympathy.
“Let me ask you this, does it really matter? Like who cares?” Campbell said. “You know, and that’s the thing, that’s what I go back to. It doesn’t matter. Either it is or it isn’t, and we get a guy back, or we don’t get a guy back. Worrying about it, and moaning about it, and bitching about it—It’s like (penalty) calls, right? It’s like the call. It’s like (the Kindle) Vildor (pass interference penalty). I could sit there and throw a fit about it. What does it matter? It’s called, it’s done.”
He’s got a point, and it highlights one of this team’s greatest strengths: they don’t wallow in adversity. They thrive in it. They almost welcome it.
That said, that defense is going through some serious adversity right now. Here’s an overall look at the players dealing with injuries:
Starters:
- EDGE Aidan Hutchinson (IR, likely out for season)
- EDGE Marcus Davenport (IR, out for season)
- DT Levi Onwuzurike (hamstring injury vs. Bears, did not return)
- LB Alex Anzalone (IR, out until playoffs)
- LB Derrick Barnes (IR, out for season)
- CB Carlton Davis (knee injury, missed Bears game)
Reserves who would be starting:
- EDGE Josh Paschal (knee injury vs. Bears, did not return)
- EDGE John Cominsky (IR out for season)
- LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (IR, return unknown)
- LB Malcolm Rodriguez (suffered knee injury vs. Bears—concern for long-term injury)
- CB Ennis Rakestraw (IR, return unknown)
- CB Emmanuel Moseley (unknown injury, missed Bears game)
Other reserves who would likely have a role:
- EDGE Nate Lynn (IR, out for year)
- DT Kyle Peko (IR, out for year)
- DT David Bada (IR, out for year)
- S Ifeatu Melifonwu (IR, return unknown)
The Lions have had to scramble to fill these roles. They traded for Za’Darius Smith at the trade deadline, a move that has already paid off. But many of their roster moves have been more subtle. Linebackers Ezekiel Turner and David Long—both signed off the streets in November—combined for 34 defensive snaps on Thanksgiving. Al-Quadin Muhammad, an October addition who picked up one sack and several pressures vs. the Bears, pitched in 43 defensive snaps after being sidelined all of the 2023 season. Khalil Dorsey, who had played a career total of 124 defensive snaps since joining the league in 2020, was on the field for 32 plays Thursday.
Campbell isn’t interested in worrying, he’s focused on getting the right players in the right spots.
“Whoever we have available, we’re going to get them ready to play, and we expect them to hold the line, period,” Campbell said. “You’ve got to do your job, and everybody around you is looking for you to do your job. So, we’ll give the best opportunity to have success, or put you in the best position to have success, and we’ll go. If we’ve got to do something different—we’ve got defensive injuries that make us do something different offensively and special teams—we’ll do that. If it’s offensively, we’ll play a little differently on defense or special teams, and we’ll find a way to balance levees.”
