The Detroit Lions are heading into a crucial showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Fortunately, everything appears to be on the rise in the Motor City. The switch from offensive coordinator John Morton to head coach Dan Campbell as the team’s primary offensive playcaller sparked last week’s blowout win over the Washington Commanders, but another encouraging development has been the return of defensive tackle Alim McNeill.
Coming off a torn ACL suffered last December, McNeill cruised past the timeline to make his return before the team’s bye week. But his performance hasn’t been the same, especially against the run. With McNeill still working his way back to his pre-injury form, it could be a change as simple as getting rookie defensive tackle Tyleik Williams more involved that could unlock the Lions defense as they head down the final stretch.
Lions May Expand Tyleik Williams’s Role if Alim McNeill's Struggles Persist
When Campbell learned that McNeill would make his return against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7, he couldn’t contain his excitement, declaring “Alim’s freakin’ playing man” during a radio interview. Looking at McNeill’s stats from 2024, Campbell’s feelings were warranted, logging 25 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 29 pressures while playing to respectable 79.6 defense and 77.1 pass rush grades, according to Pro Football Focus.
While McNeill has generated seven pressures on 92 pass-rushing snaps so far this season, the issue has been his play against the run. PFF has given McNeill a career-worst 42.0 run defense grade on 50 snaps this season and a season-low 40.9 grade in last week’s win over the Commanders.
There’s not an urgent need to get McNeill off the field in running situations as the Lions rank eighth in the NFL with 94.3 rushing yards and are tied for ninth with 4.0 yards per carry allowed this season. But it gives them a loophole to preserve McNeill and get Williams more involved.
Williams hasn’t done much well in his rookie season, logging a 54.5 overall grade and a 46.9 grade against the run this season. But while he hasn’t stuffed the run as a pro, it was the strength of his game at Ohio State. While he posted respectable grades against the run of 78.1 in 2022 and 71.8 in 2023, his best work came in his final season with the Buckeyes, posting an 88.6 grade and making 23 run stops in 2024.
The pass-rushing game needs work, with Williams generating 10 pressures on 122 snaps. But while he’s sharpening that skill, it might make more sense to play him to his strengths.
This could be why defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard suggested that Williams could get more involved on the defense days after Dan Campbell suggested he might have to learn behind veterans Roy Lopez and D.J. Reader. Getting Williams on the field in some way will build his confidence and also keep McNeill fresh, less than a year after coming off a major injury.
It might be another way to get the most out of a defensive line that’s been pretty good this season and could help the Lions build momentum toward a playoff push.