Back in Week 15, Detroit Lions safety S DeShon Elliott suffered a shoulder injury, and he has not played since. On Friday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters that it is unlikely that Elliott will play on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. With Elliott likely being out, second-year safety Ifeatu Melifonwu is expected to make his second start in a row.
What did Dan Campbell say about Ifeatu Melifonwu replacing DeShon Elliott?
Melifonwu struggled last week against the Carolina Panthers, but Campbell expects him to be better on Sunday against the Bears.
“I would anticipate we’d see him react quicker,” Campbell said of Melifonwu on Friday. “I think we’re going to see a player that sees it faster and triggers faster, and he knows what we’re looking for just from what we talked about, the intensity, the aggressiveness. So, yeah, I anticipate we’ll see a better version of Iffy.”
Melifonwu also thinks his second game as a starting safety will go smoother than the first.
“Game 1 to Game 2 will definitely be a little bit slower,” Melifonwu said Friday. “That was my first time playing safety ever in my whole career. It’s a whole different change from being on the outside and seeing half the field and being more in man responsibility. To being in the box and responsible for run and pass and communication, so I think it’ll be a big jump from Game 1 to Game 2.”
You have to remember that when the Lions drafted Melifonwu, he was a cornerback, so adjusting to a new position at the highest level can take some time.
