Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard is absolutely digging in on his play calling, even after a Week 4 loss to the Carolina Panthers where his aggressive tactics went sideways. Sheppard doubled down Thursday, telling reporters straight up, “Those calls were the right calls, and I’ll leave it at that.” That kind of defiance, especially after a tough game, really tells you where he stands.
Blitzing Bryce Young Blew Up in Detroit’s Face
The numbers don’t lie, and they sure didn’t look good for Detroit’s defense against Bryce Young. The Panthers pulled off a 32-26 win last Sunday, and a huge part of that was Young carving up the Lions’ blitzes. Per 100.9 The Mitt’s Ben Bosscher and Pride of Detroit’s Al Karsten, Young was money when blitzed, going 7-for-8 on his 12 dropbacks in those situations. That’s a brutal conversion rate for a defense that kept bringing the heat. It makes you wonder if they even scouted what Young was doing or if they just stuck to the game plan no matter what.
Sheppard Sticks to His Guns Despite Execution Issues
When asked about the glaring disconnect between his play calls and the actual on-field execution, Sheppard remained tight-lipped. He said, “Those are private conversations that we have that I’m going to keep in house. Those calls were the right calls.” That’s classic coach-speak, right? It leaves you hanging, wondering what those “private conversations” actually entail. Is he putting the blame on his players for not executing the “right calls,” or is there a bigger problem festering behind closed doors? Either way, the results speak for themselves, and Young was having a field day against what Sheppard insists were perfect calls.
The Lions are gearing up for a Week 5 showdown this Sunday, hitting the road to face the Arizona Cardinals. You know all eyes will be on how that defense performs, especially if Sheppard sticks to his guns on the blitz.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
Leave a Reply