Double trouble is brewing in Detroit.
Following defensive end Aidan Hutchinson's quiet start to the season against the Green Bay Packers, head coach Dan Campbell raised eyebrows with a questionable comment. According to A to Z Sports' Lions beat writer Mike Payton, Campbell wasn't surprised at all about Green Bay consistently double-teaming his star edge-rusher.
"I always think of what I'd do ... and I would not let Hutch wreck the game," Campbell told reporters, per MLive.com. He continued, "They're not going to let him just — particularly on passing downs — they're not going to let him ever have a one-on-one."
"He knows that, we know that. It's understood," Campbell added.
Dan Campbell's Comments Raise Questions Over Lions Offseason Strategy
With Hutchinson receiving the attention and double-teams Campbell expected, it poses legitimate questions about Detroit's offseason game plan.
The fifth-year head coach emphasized the importance of other Lions pass-rushers stepping up and winning one-on-ones as Hutchinson gets more double-teams, saying, "It also means other guys got to step up ... and win quickly."
The problem with that line of reasoning is that the Lions didn't do much this offseason to bolster the pass-rush around Hutchinson. If anything, the front office made it worse.
General manager Brad Holmes released edge-rusher Za'Darius Smith in March before he was due a $2 million roster bonus and failed to agree to another contract with the reliable veteran defender. On Wednesday, Smith signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Lions failed to add other edge talent help in free agency, and rookie sixth-round defensive end Ahmed Hassanein was waived with an injury settlement when teams cut rosters to 53 players in late August after suffering a torn pectoral during the preseason.
Former first-round bust Marcus Davenport, who was limited to six games from 2023-24 due to injury and has 24 sacks in eight seasons, starts opposite Hutchinson but, as his numbers indicate, isn't a reliable pass-rusher. Against the Packers, he had one quarterback hurry in 14 pass-rush opportunities, according to Pro Football Focus data.
Per ESPN, the Lions ranked No. 26 in pass-rush win rate in Week 1. Al-Quadin Muhammad and Patrick O'Connor were the only other edge-rushers besides Hutchinson and Davenport to receive playing time, and they combined for two pressures in 12 pass-rush snaps.
Before suffering a season-ending leg injury a season ago, Hutchinson led the NFL in pressure win rate (38.3 percent), per PFF, generating 45 total pressures.
In Week 1 against the Packers, he was limited to two total pressures while posting a 20 percent win rate. Without strong options to pair with Hutchinson, offenses will be able to heed Campbell's advice and continue throwing double-teams at the 2022 No. 2 overall pick.
Opponents have a blueprint for how to neutralize Hutchinson, and it's one the Lions should have had the foresight to predict.
Campbell wants others besides Hutchinson to step up, but after Detroit neglected to fortify its defensive end rotation during the offseason, that's much easier said than done.