After fielding the worst pass defense in the league for nearly a month, the Detroit Lions knew something had to change. Head coach Dan Campbell had Kelvin Sheppard's back, and the Lions' defensive coordinator got in his bag.
The Lions shook up their cornerback plan to face the Green Bay Packers' explosive secondary. Roger McCreary alternated between the outside and the slot, with D.J. Reed handling most of the CB2 duties.
However, it was Khalil Dorsey the one who stood out the most in this big win. He was part of a three-man rotation outside with Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Rock Ya-Sin, but he may have played his way into a much bigger role going forward.
Khalil Dorsey was a difference-maker for the Detroit Lions in Week 7
Despite playing just 14 snaps on defense, Khalil Dorsey was the ultimate eraser in the secondary. He prevented two explosive plays and logged one pass breakup, proving that he can be much more than just a gunner on special teams.
Dorsey can play safety and cornerback. While rookie Keith Abney II will continue to get a long leash at safety, there should be snaps up for grabs whenever the Lions are in nickel, and McCreary must move to the slot.
Coach Campbell had nothing but praise for Dorsey, and why wouldn't he? The Packers brought two 500-yard receivers with them, yet the Lions' secondary did an outstanding job of keeping Jordan Love on his toes and limiting big gains:
“I thought (Khalil) Dorsey, man, stepped in and did some big things,” Campbell said, also giving him a game ball. “There was no panic, made some big plays downfield.”
As a whole, Kelvin Sheppard's unit registered six pass breakups, one pick, and held its own against the likes of Christian Watson and Matthew Golden. It was a much-needed strong defensive performance against the same team that swept them last season.
More than that, it was a testament to all the hard work this team and coaching staff put in during the bye week. They weren't afraid to dig deep into their bag and figure out the best player for every matchup and situation to make up for this team's glaring needs at cornerback.
Kerby Joseph is finally trending in the right direction in his recovery. Brian Branch did Brian Branch things in his return, and this secondary might be much better than it seemed all of a sudden. Dorsey has always been an afterthought and an overlooked guy, but if he keeps making the most of the expanded opportunities, he might even put himself in the CB2 conversation.
The bar isn't that high.
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