On the surface, it seems so dire.
The Detroit Lions had already lost Aidan Hutchinson, one of the best defensive players in the NFL, to a leg injury. Now they will be without wide receiver Jameson Williams, a 2022 first-round pick who can take the top off the defense, because of a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy.
But here’s the crazy part.
It doesn’t feel like a dire situation for the Lions.
CARLOS MONARREZ: Dan Campbell not at end of his rope as Detroit Lions toss Jameson Williams a lifeline
“We adjust, we move on, and life’s good,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said Thursday.
Instead of panic, this organization is showing patience and a level-headed approach, which is both smart and logical.
First, let’s cover Williams, who accepted the suspension Thursday, meaning he’ll miss games against the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers.
Set aside the “sins,” as Campbell called them.
Set aside what Williams said in a statement through his agent: “I don’t take supplements or vitamins, and I am overly cautious about even taking over-the-counter medicine. At no time have I ever taken something in an attempt to cheat or look for an unfair advantage.”
Set aside what this means in the long term for this talented wide receiver — can they trust him enough, in the future, to give him an extension?
To be blunt, none of those issues matters one bit right now.
And besides, time will give us the answer.
All that matters, right now, is the here and now — how will the Lions adjust without Williams?
The Lions have so many weapons on offense that they can simply plug in a new threat.
Yes, of course, they would rather have Williams on the field. He has game-changing speed. But they have options in his absence.
“We’re prepared not to have him and it’s all good,” Campbell said Wednesday. “We’ve got Allen Robinson, we’ve got Leaf (Kalif Raymond) , we’ve got Saint (Amon-Ra St. Brown) — I can keep going — we’ve got TP (Tim Patrick), we’ve got (TE Sam) LaPorta, we’ve got (RB Jahmyr) Gibbs, we’ve got (RB David) Montgomery, we’ll probably bring Isaiah Williams, so we’re good. This isn’t the first little bit of stuff we’ve been hit with, so we adjust, we move on, and life’s good.”
Yes, that’s a long list, which is the point.
Of that group, Raymond is the most likely to increase his targets.
“He comes in with a great attitude and he’s willing to do whatever it takes,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said of Raymond. “If you told him, ‘Hey, you’re going to have 10 snaps this week and they’re all run-blocking,’ he’s going to attack that with a vigor, and he just loves playing football and being out on the field for his teammates. And so, when you combine that mentality along with — he’s got probably the best press releases on the team because of how small and shifty he is, guys can’t keep up with his quickness, he’s a threat in man-to-man, and then his run after catch is that of what you would expect from a punt returner. So, very dynamic weapon, there were some games earlier in the year, didn’t feel like was giving him enough opportunities, and so the last couple of weeks we’ve been able to get the ball in his hands and he’s taken it and ran with it.”
Personally, I hope Isaiah Williams, an undrafted rookie wideout, gets a shot, too.
“He’s been the guy that pops every week on scout team,” Johnson said. “And I know he’s won scout team player of the week several times for (Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) and the defensive staff. And so, you see it — you see what you saw in the preseason with the speed, the explosion, and now it’s just carrying over and you’re seeing it day in and day out. And so, the trust level’s certainly going up. If he’s up here this week, then we’re getting more confidence in what he’ll bring to the table as well.”
A word about the defense
Do the Lions need another edge rusher?
Yes, absolutely.
Do they need one this week against the 1-5 Tennessee Titans?
No disrespect, Titans, but probably not (even though the Lions certainly respect you). Because the Lions used to be Tennessee.
“We are not going to be in a hurry,” Campbell said. “If it’s right, it’s right, and we’re going to do our homework, do our due diligence, and if it makes sense, it makes sense. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
The Lions got through a huge test without Hutchinson against the Minnesota Vikings. In many ways, that comeback win bought them the luxury of time.
Toss in the Tennessee game, and they have bought two weeks.
Two weeks closer to the trade deadline.
Instead of panicking and grabbing whatever is available right now, they are buying time for some other teams to realize they should sell at the deadline.
My advice to Lions fans? Root like crazy for the Cincinnati Bengals to lose their next two games.
The Bengals are 3-4; if they fall out of contention, maybe the Lions will be able to trade for Trey Hendrickson, a three-time Pro Bowler who has seven sacks (tied for fourth in the NFL) and 15 quarterback hits (third).
In the meantime, the Lions will try out some defenders already in Allen Park.
“There’s still two guys here, there’s really three, that we haven’t really rolled out there on Sunday and see what they look like,” Campbell said. “So, we’re going to give them a shot. We’re going to give Isaiah Thomas a shot, we’re going to give (Al-Quadin) Muhammad another shot, he’s played in this league, done a lot. We’ll give (James) Houston another shot, so in combination with all those guys that we’ve got. Let’s give it a go, let’s give it a look, that’s what they’re here for.”
Maybe they will continue to blitz more.
And they will certainly try to do it by committee, bringing different players off the edge.
“I know that Hutch brought a huge part of rushing the passer, but man, again, we have other guys that can go out there and do the same thing,” Glenn said. “So, listen, are they Hutch? No, they’re not, and it’s hard to be Hutch. But they have their own talents and traits that we can try to utilize to help us win.”
