HOUSTON – Ever since Aidan Hutchinson went down with a broken leg in Dallas Week 6, the Detroit Lions have really relied on their secondary to lead their defense.
Those guys have done a great job stepping up, but Sunday in Houston head coach Dan Campbell challenged his defensive line to be difference makers.
“We’ve asked them to do a lot,” Campbell said of the secondary. “This was the game though that we really, really challenged our D-line. This is one where we said, “Hey, you guys have to win. Mac (Alim McNeill) you have to go and take this game over to an extent.’ All those guys. We felt like we could have success, and I felt like we did that, man.”
Houston had allowed the second most sacks (31) of any team in the NFL coming into Sunday night’s contest.
Detroit’s defensive line accounted for four sacks — McNeill (1), Josh Paschal (1), Pat O’Connor (1) and James Houston (1) — as the Lions also hit Stroud seven times and racked up nine tackles for loss in a 26-23 win. It was just the fourth game since at least 1994 a Detroit defense had at least nine tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions.
McNeill said after the game the defensive line took their head coach’s challenge to heart.
“We did our best to step up to it and make that impact in the game,” he said. “Do what you’re supposed to do and make plays. There’s no secret formula. I feel like in the first half there just were some things that weren’t going our way. We were playing defense, but some things weren’t happening. Everything came together for us toward the end, it’s about how you finish and not how you start.”
It was a great game defensively and that front is about to get some reinforcements with veteran Za’Darius Smith expected to make his Lions debut next week when Detroit hosts Jacksonville at Ford Field.
LAPORTA INJURY
Tight end Sam LaPorta injured his shoulder vs. Houston and the Lions are in wait-and-see mode on the severity.
“He has a little sprain in the AC joint,” Campbell said after the game. “He tried to go back in and it just wasn’t quite right. It didn’t quite feel right. We’ll get it checked tomorrow and see where it’s at and see how significant it is and just take it day to day.”
Campbell didn’t think it was anything that would keep LaPorta sidelined long-term but could affect his status for Sunday’s game vs. the Jaguars.
LaPorta led the team with three receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown before leaving.
BLUE WAVE
Lions fans continue to amaze with their support for the team on the road. There were so many Lions fans inside NRG Stadium Sunday and they made a difference in the fourth quarter with the noise.
“Our fans helped,” Campbell said. “With about eight minutes left in the fourth they helped, got a false start over there called. Our fans are huge traveling like they did.”
It’s been a theme for this fanbase dating back to last season.
EXTRA POINT
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown logged a touchdown reception in his seventh straight road game, establishing a new franchise record.
