The Lions’ biggest concern from exactly one year ago seems to be fixed and going in the right direction
The Detroit Lions had one defensive problem that Dan Campbell kept bringing up all summer a year ago — and it followed them into the regular season. Fast forward exactly one year, and that same concern suddenly looks VERY different. Something has clearly changed.
What a difference a year makes for the Detroit Lions. While waiting for a press conference to start on Wednesday, I took a look back at what I was writing about exactly one year ago. What I found was something that points to a large change this year.
The article was titled “The Lions’ defense looks really good, but there’s something that’s alarmingly missing, and Dan Campbell keeps bringing it up.” The story was about how all summer last year, whether it was during camp or preseason, the Lions’ defense was just not generating turnovers, and there was concern that the problem could bleed over into the regular season.
That’s exactly what happened too. The Lions finished 20th in takeaways last year. They were 11th in 2024. Turnovers are important. They can really mask deficiencies. Just ask the Chicago Bears. In 2025, they were at the bottom of the league in basically every metric, but they were near the top of the league in turnovers, and it made everyone just ignore how bad that defense was.
What’s changed in 2026?
Part of it is just good old-fashioned luck. The ball bounces off a helmet or gets tipped in the right way for an interception, or a fumble bounces off the ground the right way and the Lions pick it up. The other part of it is being in the right place and making the right play. The Lions just weren’t doing that in 2025. They’re definitely doing it this year.
I’m not sure I’ve been to a practice this summer where a turnover hasn’t been forced by the Lions’ defense on either the first or second team. It’s not been just one here or there. It’s been multiple times a day. It gets to the point where you worry about the offense a little bit. Although I wouldn’t do that because those guys are moving well too.
It’s not been just practices. It’s happening in-game too. The Lions were able to force a fumble against the Bengals last Thursday, and it was the epitome of the ball bouncing the right way and the Lions being in the right place to scoop it up.
You’d maybe like to see some in-game interceptions before the season starts, but they’re headed in the right direction, and if their biggest concern from last summer doesn’t feel like as big of a concern as last year, then you can feel a little more confident about the way this defense is heading.
Now, if they can get back both Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. That can go a long way for them. Especially since Joseph is the Lions’ big ball hawk.
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