The Detroit Lions arguably had their best win of the season on Monday, defeating the red-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 24-9. The best part of their performance came on the defensive side of the ball, despite missing multiple starters in the secondary. Without Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, DJ Reed, Terrion Arnold, and Avonte Maddox, the Lions were still able to stop the Bucs offense, holding them to 58 yards of offense in the first half.
The lion's share of credit goes to defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, and the 37-year-old coach may have held his best audition for a head coaching gig.
Kelvin Sheppard Will Be a Head Coaching Candidate if Lions Defense Keeps This Up
Throughout the night, it seemed like the Lions delivered every time they needed a big play on the defensive end. They forced two key turnovers, had four sacks, and held the Bucs to 3.8 yards per play. Tampa Bay, which had only two turnovers coming into the game, equaled their season total, and had their lowest season total in yards with 251.
This was largely done on the back of the depleted Lions secondary. A group made up of practice squad callups, new additions, and backups stepped up in a big way. Nick Whiteside was the star of the show in his defensive debut, with three pass breakups, Amik Robertson forced a fumble, Erick Hallett led the team with eight tackles, and Arthur Maulet had an interception. Whiteside, Maulet, and Thomas Harper all had Pro Football Focus defensive grades above 70.0.
To make matters worse, the Lions got even more short-handed during the game. Rock Ya-Sin left the game early, playing only 29 defensive snaps before heading to the locker room. Maulet was hurt in the fourth quarter and limped off the field, missing the final stretch of the game.
Despite the sea of injuries, the Lions' defense didn't skip a beat all night. This speaks volumes about Sheppard. The defense has ranked in the bottom half of the league in yards allowed for the past six seasons is currently a top ten unit. They generate a ton of pressure, force a lot of turnovers, and are generally a nightmare to play against. They are also doing this while being one of the most injury-decimated teams in the league.
If the Lions' defensive continues to play at this level, it will be very hard for them to retain Sheppard after the season. There are currently five teams in the NFL with one or fewer wins, which should result in significant coaching turnover in the offseason. Sheppard should be a candidate for some of these teams looking for a high-upside first-time head coach, continuing the trend of Lions coordinators getting head coaching jobs and slowly building a Dan Campbell coaching tree.