The Detroit Lions are no longer in control of their playoff destiny, as lapses from the defense have been one of the contributing factors to their recent losses. Even though the Lions have been slammed with injuries on that side of the ball, they are underperforming, and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard knows it.
When speaking to the media on Thursday, via Kory Woods of MLive.com, Sheppard took the blame for the defense, especially in Week 15, when they allowed 41 points to the Los Angeles Rams. Not only did Sheppard acknowledge that, but he also revealed he needs to do a better job at putting his players in position to succeed, which means he needs to know what his players can and can't do.
Despite saying these things, the arrow is trending down on Sheppard after a hot start to the year, further casting doubt that he's the guy for the long haul.
Kelvin Sheppard Problems Seem to Be Alarming for Lions
What fans appear to be most annoyed with is what Sheppard said about the run defense versus the Rams. He stated that Detroit's run defense was acceptable in the loss, despite being presented with information that the success rate was the worst under Dan Campbell.
The lack of accountability for their poor run defense has led fans to say they are losing faith in the staff, and Sheppard is in over his head. The fact that Sheppard was defending the Lions' run defense in last week's loss is very alarming. Los Angeles rushed for 159 total yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
Allowing a team to rush for that clip with that success rate makes everything easier for the offense, and that's exactly what happened. Instead of coming out and saying that sort of production is unacceptable, Sheppard looked to defend it.
Of course, there's a bit of nuance to all the injuries the Lions have dealt with on defense, but the product on the field is disappointing. Considering this is his first year as the defensive coordinator, it's natural that fans don't think he could be the long-term answer there.
On the offensive side, Campbell took the playcalling duties away from John Morton, and while he won't do that to Sheppard, there understandably could, and perhaps should, be doubt creeping in on that side of the ball.
It also doesn't help him that he was a coach under Aaron Glenn, so certain things were always going to carry over to his tenure as well. Some fans are hoping for a different voice from a different tree to step in, but that's not up to them.
It comes down to what Campbell and Brad Holmes think is best for their team, and as of now, Sheppard has work to do. This is especially true if Detroit wants to have a real shot of making the playoffs.
In the losses to Green Bay and Los Angeles, the Lions have allowed 439 yards and 36 points per game. Those numbers aren't good enough, and everyone knows it.