The Detroit Lions are entering the bye week with much-needed positive momentum. Heading into Arizona, the panic meter around the team was creeping dangerously high. The Lions had the worst defense in the league; fans were calling for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard's head, and the Super Bowl hopes were quickly dwindling.
Then, the Lions delivered their best performance of the season. After dominating the Cardinals in all three phases of the game for a blowout win, the Lions are now 3-2 and feel good about their rest-of-season outlook.
While there were plenty of positive takeaways from the game, the much-improved defense has to be near the top of the list. It was the best defensive showing of the season, and Sheppard deserves some credit. This will certainly earn him some time by silencing his harshest critics.
Kelvin Sheppard deserves some credit in the Week 5 win vs. Cardinals
There were notable shifts in Detroit's defensive approach. The Lions played more man coverage than they have all season. The Athletic's Colton Pouncy pointed out on X that after playing 15.6% of their defensive snaps in man coverage in the first four weeks, the Lions were at 31% on Sunday.
After the Cardinals scored a touchdown on the opening drive, the Lions had five straight three-and-outs. This may have been the best stretch of defense the Lions have played under Sheppard.
Personnel changes had something to do with it, as well. Rookie Keith Abney started at safety next to Chuck Clark, despite having zero experience playing the position. He ended up with the only interception of the game and was a difference-maker all afternoon.
Abney's emergence was only a small part of the improvement on the secondary. DJ Reed and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. also played their best games of the season. Combine that with the solid production of the front seven, including five sacks, and the Lions showed a ton of positive flashes.
Of course, it's important to remember that this came against the 1-4 Cardinals. They don't have the highest-octane offense in the NFL, but they still have very dangerous offensive weapons. It's not like the Jets and the Saints, who carved up the Lions this season, are among the best offenses in the league.
The Lions' schedule gets tougher after the bye week. This defensive performance has to be replicated for the fans to feel good about their chances of making a deep postseason run. For now, Sheppard can feel good about his job security and focus on the Packers clash in Week 7.
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