If you watched the Detroit Lions’ 41–34 loss to the Rams, you already know the defense has become a major talking point, and not in a good way. Detroit got pushed around up front and burned on the outside, and Dan Campbell isn’t shying away from that reality. Instead, he’s addressing it head-on, especially when it comes to two players the Lions absolutely need down the stretch: Alim McNeill and D.J. Reed.
And to his credit, Campbell, who joined the crew on 97.1 the Ticket on Tuesday morning, didn’t deflect, sugarcoat, or play the blame game. He owned the struggles and explained why he believes both players are going to turn it around.
Alim McNeill: “He Holds Himself to Very High Standards”
McNeill hasn’t looked like the dominant force he was before tearing his ACL last season. He knows it. Campbell knows it. Fans can see it. And when the head coach joined 97.1 The Ticket, he made it clear there’s more in the tank, and McNeill knows that, too.
“I know Mac feels like he can play better. He holds himself to very high standards. We know there’s more in there, you know,” Campbell said as quoted by Lions OnSI.
Campbell added that sometimes the issue isn’t physical, it’s mental processing.
“Sometimes, you process things a little too much, instead of cutting it loose… you’re thinking about the look, the formation, all these things.”
In classic Campbell fashion, no one was thrown under the bus. Instead, he doubled down on his belief in his defensive tackle:
“I know he believes he can play better. And we all do. So, he’s going to go back to work. And he’ll be alright.”
The Lions need that version of McNeill immediately, especially with three must-win games left on the schedule.
D.J. Reed: “Nowhere to Run, Nor to Hide”
Reed’s struggles have been even more glaring. Over his last four games, the veteran cornerback has surrendered 18 catches for 302 yards, and opposing quarterbacks have been picking on him in key moments.
Standing at the podium on Monday, Campbell compared the reality of being an NFL corner to being a quarterback, isolated and under a spotlight.
“Those guys, they’re put out on an island… they’re like quarterbacks. You get out there and there’s nowhere to run, nor to hide.”
Campbell acknowledged that rough stretches happen, even for veterans, but he pushed back against any panic surrounding Reed.
“You’re not going to win all those battles… sometimes things don’t go your way, and you may have a little bit of a stretch.”
But here’s the part fans should highlight:
“I know him well enough to know that whatever it is, he’s going to continue to work himself through it… he’s going to come out of this and he’s going to be just fine.”
Campbell even pointed to Reed’s effort:
“He went after it last week, he continued to work and he’s going to be alright. He’ll be alright.”
Bottom Line: Campbell Still Believes — and That Matters
McNeill and Reed haven’t lived up to expectations lately, and the defense as a whole badly needs a reset. But Campbell isn’t wavering. He still trusts his guys. He still believes their best football is ahead. And if the Lions are going to make a legitimate push for a playoff spot, they’ll need exactly that, starting now.
If Detroit’s defense can get McNeill back on track and Reed stabilized on the outside, this team’s ceiling rises dramatically. And Campbell clearly expects both players to respond.
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