Detroit — They came in bruised, missing key players on defense, some injured, one suspended. But we’ve certainly learned this about the Lions: After they’ve been bad, they get mad, and bounce right back.
The Lions were back in black (uniforms) and back in the opponent’s backfield Monday night. This was a teeth-rattling response by a team intent on unleashing fury, with whatever it takes, by whomever was available. The Lions’ entire starting defensive backfield was out, just as the Bucs came in with a high-scoring offense and a hot quarterback, Baker Mayfield, who’d lifted Tampa Bay to the top of the NFC.
The Bucs stepped into the wrong den at the wrong time. The Lions chased and harassed Mayfield, knocked the ball loose from receivers and then clobbered them for good measure. This is who the Lions are, or at least who they become when challenged, or doubted.
You couldn’t tell the defensive backs without a scorecard, but you could tell the story on the scoreboard. The Lions mauled Tampa Bay, 24-9, showing the national audience the full depth of Dan Campbell’s team. Oh, there were the usual offensive highlights, from Jahmyr Gibbs’ 78-yard touchdown run, to Amon-Ra St. Brown’s clutch catches, including a 27-yard score.
But this game was won where the Lions supposedly were weakest, a character-confirming performance by a bunch of guys who began the season with no guaranteed roles on this team, or any team. If you say you knew the names of all the cornerbacks and safeties Monday night — Rock Ya-Sin, Thomas Harper, Erick Hallett II, Nick Whiteside, Arthur Maulet — there’s a decent chance you’re lying.
‘Show the world’
Amik Robertson was the only regular and he was all over the field, and forced a fumble with a well-timed punchout. While others might not have believed what they saw, Robertson expected it.
“I told those guys after the game how proud I was of them,” Robertson said. “All I thought about when I was out there is playing for those guys. And I told them, even though this may be y’all first opportunity, show the world. We heard all the noise, ‘Secondary, whatever, whatever.’ But those guys went out and played their hearts out and I had no doubt in them.”
Campbell said he also expected this performance, and I don’t think he was kidding. It helped that Mac was Back. Big Alim McNeill returned from injury and made an immediate impact in the middle of the defensive line. Kelvin Sheppard surely expected it, as the first-year defensive coordinator is proving to be an excellent motivator and tactician.
There was no time to mope after the tough loss in Kansas City, no time to wait for wounds to heal. This was a contest that ultimately could determine playoff seeding, and the Lions (5-2) just gained an important edge on the Bucs (5-2), heading into a bye week.
All the lingering aggravations were buried quickly by the Ford Field noise. A week ago, the Lions got pushed around by the Chiefs, 30-17, got blindsided by the NFL replay system, and then lost star safety Brian Branch to suspension after he lost his cool. Branch wasn’t here, although he sort of was. The defensive backs wore his No. 32 jersey in the locker room afterward, honoring one of their respected leaders.
Even the NFL’s wacky replay system made up for the controversial ruling that took a touchdown away from the Lions last week. This time, clinging to a 21-9 lead in the fourth quarter, the Lions challenged the Bucs’ first-down conversion on fourth-and-4. Replay upheld the call. But thanks to last week’s fiasco in Kansas City, we now know replay reviews can happen at random, if you just wait long enough.
The New York office chimed in and re-reviewed it, noting Bucs tight end Cade Otton had indeed caught the ball, but his knee touched the turf just shy of the marker. Lions ball, and the only scoring the rest of the way was a 58-yard Jake Bates field goal.
So Dan, did you really see all this coming? A turn in officiating fortune? Four sacks of Mayfield, a mere 251 yards for Tampa Bay’s potent offense? The Bucs had their own injuries along the offensive line and at receiver, but Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka played, and did little. Evans later left with a broken collarbone, a crusher for the Bucs.
Plug and play
Four of the Lions’ top eight tacklers were Hallett, Maulet, Ya-Sin and Harper. Maulet, a 32-year-old veteran who has played for the Steelers, Ravens, Jets, Saints and Colts, was elevated from the practice squad in time for Monday’s game.
Campbell loved what the makeshift secondary did. But he didn’t stop there.
“Everything is not about the DBs, it’s about the linebackers, it’s about the D-ends, the quarterback and the O-line and punt returner,” Campbell said. “I knew our guys would bounce back and be ready and have urgency.”
How’d he know it? Well, because they almost always do. The Lions have been masterful at rebounding, not losing two in a row in the regular season since 2022. This was their 11th consecutive victory following a defeat, and in those 11 games, they’ve outscored the opposition by an astounding 362-169.
“We just got a special group of coaches and players,” Campbell said. “They’re competitive, they want to win, and they’re able to focus on what needs to be fixed. Don’t lose confidence, just fix it. Then the lights come on and guys show up.”
Do they ever. The Lions now are 13-3 in prime-time games under Campbell. In this one, they were credited with 12 passes defended, two by Ya-Sin and three by Whiteside, 25, who grew up in Auburn Hills, went to Saginaw Valley State and went undrafted. Fittingly, Whiteside knocked away the Bucs’ last chance, swatting a fourth-down pass in the end zone.
“When guys are down, nobody panics,” Whiteside said. “They say, ‘You’re up, now’s your time.’ It’s a little different when you have coaches who believe in you, make you want to run through a wall.”
Or at least run violently to the ball, as the Lions did all night long. On the ESPN broadcast, Troy Aikman absolutely raved, calling it “one of the best defensive efforts I’ve ever seen.” Considering the circumstances and the opposing quarterback, it’s not outrageous praise.
The best part for the Lions is, they should improve even more as their health improves. They’ll get safeties Branch and Kerby Joseph back, and should eventually get cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed back. No team stays whole for an entire season, but on this night, one thing was abundantly clear. When truly challenged, the Lions rebound as forcefully and frequently as anybody.
bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com
@bobwojnowski
