The Detroit Lions currently have the second-worst defense in the NFL, both in terms of yards and points allowed. The defensive unit was carved up by opposing offenses through the first two weeks of the season, leading many Lions fans to lose hope about this team's Super Bowl chances.
This is a disappointing place to be for a team that emphasized improvement on the defensive side of the ball all offseason. The coaching staff and the front office put so much faith in this core instead of making sweeping changes or pulling off a splashy move. Despite the departure of Terrion Arnold and the injuries to Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, the organization seemed confident in its ability to put together a capable defense.
That couldn't have been further from reality. As the Bills seemingly scored on every drive last Thursday, Lions fans voiced their frustrations on social media. Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes, and individual players all received well-deserved criticism, but no one bore the brunt of it more than defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.
Despite the rising frustration and the fading trust in Sheppard among the fanbase, HC Campbell gave his defensive coordinator a vote of confidence. Speaking to the media on Monday, Campbell said that he continues to believe in Sheppard, who "knows what he's doing," per team insider Mike Payton. Campbell added that a few things have to be cleaned up, but they will get things "back to where they want to get them."
Can Kelvin Sheppard suffer a fate similar to former OC John Morton?
This is eerily reminiscent of last season's saga with offensive coordinator John Morton. He had come under fire early in the season, and Campbell stood by him. He even referenced the time when people were asking Ben Johnson to be fired before they were able to turn things around.
But this didn't last. On November 16, Morton was relieved of his duties as offensive playcaller, and Campbell assumed the role for the rest of the season.
Something similar could potentially happen with Sheppard this season.
Last season, Sheppard avoided a lot of scrutiny because the team was dealing with many injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Plus, the lackluster offense got more of the attention early on. This allowed the fact that the Lions finished the season in the bottom half of the league defensively to go under the radar.
The defense was especially porous in the second half of the season. The run defense was a disaster after the bye in Week 8. In seven of the last ten games of the season, the Lions allowed over 120 rushing yards. They allowed over 400 total yards of offense in four of their last ten games.
It's not like Sheppard has a proven track record of getting the most out of the defensive unit. He is certainly on thin ice heading into Week 3, but it sounds like Campbell has no intention of replacing him at the moment. Whether that will change if the defense continues to look out of sorts remains to be seen.
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