Excerpt (just in case):
ALLEN PARK – The Detroit Lions’ secondary has been under fire in recent weeks, ranking dead last in the NFL in passing yards allowed. But that isn’t the only area where their defense has slipped recently.
In their Week 4 loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Lions were uncharacteristically subpar against the run, giving up a season-high 122 rushing yards to Chuba Hubbard. It was the most Hubbard rushed for since the 2024 season.
Coincidentally, it marked the second time this season the Lions allowed a running back to rush for more than 100 yards in a loss. Buffalo’s James Cook ran for 135 yards in the Bills’ 41-31 Week 2 victory over Detroit.
Leading up to their Week 5 road matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, Lions coach Dan Campbell challenged his entire team to raise its standard of play, and the team bounced back with a 45-21 win over Arizona on Sunday. Detroit’s secondary rebounded, and so did its run defense, limiting Arizona’s rushing attack to 18 carries for 56 yards (3.1 yards per carry), with 18 of those yards coming on a late scramble by Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, whom the Cardinals selected with the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, turned in his worst performance of the season as Detroit limited him to 12 carries for 22 yards (1.8 yards per carry).
“They’re a good run defense. They always have been,” Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said after Sunday’s game. “They’re stout inside. It’s never been easy to run the ball against the Detroit Lions.”
Along with an above-average defensive line, Detroit’s linebacker corps and secondary helped deliver a standout day of stifling Arizona’s ground attack. Veteran linebacker Devin White played solid snaps before leaving the game near the end of the first quarter with a broken forearm. Cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Roger McCreary made Sunday a very rough day in the office for the Cardinals. Reed logged three tackles for loss, and both players ranked in the top 15 in run-defense grades for all cornerbacks this week, according to Pro Football Focus (Reed: 74.7, 14th; McCreary: 79.6, fifth).