The Detroit Lions are still figuring things around the field early in the 2024 season but they're extremely comfortable with their last line of defense.
Safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph have been mainstays in the back line of the Lions defense through two games and have turned in performances that have caught their coach's eyes.
"I think, man, between (Joseph) and Branch, I mean, you’ve got to love our safeties right now,” head coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday to end an answer about Joseph's growth in his third season.
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Branch and Joseph have been on the field for nearly every snap through two games for a defense that ranks 21st in passing yards allowed but has shown signs of growth from 2023. They have been able to play off each other in distinct roles, with Branch usually playing closer to the line of scrimmage and Joseph working as the deep man covering any long passes.
"They do complement each other really, really well, especially for the things we ask those guys to do," defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said Thursday.
Branch has been the lone Lions defender who has played 100% of the team's snaps through the first two weeks. He has been a Swiss Army knife in the back seven, all over the field. That includes lining up next to Joseph in a two-high look, lining up in the slot — as he did last year — against receivers, or coming up into the box at the line of scrimmage.
Joseph has continued to grow as the Lions' main safety after becoming a starter a month into his rookie season in 2022. Campbell said his ability to read plays as the deep safety and understanding which risks he can and cannot take from his spot has steadily improved.
"There were some things that we talked about with him, and I know AG did and (defensive backs coach) Deshea (Townsend) just about and (defensive assistant Jim O’Neil) JO about being — just, man, let it come to you. Just play within the system, understand where your eyes need to be, and the plays will come. And he is, he’s playing much more disciplined to it, and I just feel like he’s seeing the field really well right now."
They have become a powerful pairing in Glenn's eyes, as they can fit together to provide unique skill sets in the Lions' secondary.
"Kerby — his super power is being in the back end and being able to track the ball and being able to read the quarterback and go make plays," Glenn said. "BB’s (Branch) super power is being down, being back, being at dime, being at nickel, being at backer every now and then and being — let him go find the ball and go make plays. But it’s the communication, to me, that’s really honing in on those two men that’s really important for us, that you’re starting to see really flourish for us in the back end, and we’re going to have to continue that."
Glenn said he expects the secondary to continue to improve now that the group is healthy and able to practice together. Injuries at different spots, whether it was Branch's offseason surgery or a banged-up Carlton Davis III or Terrion Arnold, have prevented the secondary from fully practicing together and working on aspects of communication on the field.
"These men haven’t had a chance to really — all five of these guys, including Amik (Robertson), haven’t had a chance to really just work together from OTAs all into training camp and we’re finally starting to get that now," Glenn said.
The secondary will have their hands full Sunday against Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona ranks second in scoring through two games (at 34.5 points per game) with a passing attack that has completed 73.1% of its attempts for 404 yards and four touchdowns with no turnovers.
"This is a good team, this team kind of reminds me of how we started," Glenn said. "You see the different mentality within this team, you see the different attitude within this team, so we have to be on our P's and Q's."
