The Detroit Lions have no reason to panic after losing star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a broken leg. Some teams are immediately sunk when their star pass rusher goes down. The Steelers are 1-11 without T.J. Watt. The Niners struggle without Nick Bosa, the Browns need Myles Garrett and the Cowboys looked terrible without Micah Parsons last week. The Lions are different. Not only can they survive Hutchinson’s devastating injury... they’re still the team to beat in the NFC.
Detroit has been building a champion the right way. The Hutchinson injury is no reason to change course. The young nucleus makes them contenders for a decade. Trading away loads of draft capital for an older player like Maxx Crosby doesn’t make sense. Finding salary-cap space over the next few years will be a huge challenge in its own right. They’ve done an outstanding job drafting and developing players and shouldn’t veer off that strategy for short-term help.
Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is carted off the field during the Week 6 win against the Dallas Cowboys.
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The two dynasties of this century, the Patriots and Chiefs, wouldn’t make a costly blockbuster trade midseason. They made smaller moves, giving up mid- to late-round draft picks ... just like the Lions probably will do in the coming weeks. New England and Kansas City trust their process and knew that the reasons they won were about more than just accumulating talented players.
Hutchinson will be out for four to six months with a fractured fibula and tibia. Head coach Dan Campbell says “never count Hutch out” in regard to an early return. Even if there’s no miracle and he’s out for the season, the Lions can’t be dismissed.
Here are five fundamental reasons Lions fans should still believe...
Dan Campbell
Normally losing a guy like Hutchinson would leave an emotional void. Not when Dan Campbell is your coach.
“My job is to coach what’s here,” Campbell said. “And I’m going to coach the hell out of them. ... If we get somebody, great. If we don’t, these are our guys. This is what we came into camp with, this is why we develop talent, and its next man up and they’ve got to be ready to go.”
That’s normal coach-speak, but the Lions know they’ll get effort even if they don’t have talent on the edge. No coach instills irrational belief like Campbell. He’s going to make the Lions’ young pass rushers believe they can continue to play well despite losing Hutchinson’s incredible production.
Culture
Based on what we saw on Sunday, Hutchinson’s absence will galvanize his teammates, not deflate them. Maybe it was just about vengeance and running up the score, but Detroit’s effort through the end of the 47-9 win over the Cowboys was impressive. Players were flying to the ball until the clock expired.
The Lions, like the Chiefs and Pats, have a unique combination of talent and team-first mentality. The offensive weapons are forced to share the ball more than they would probably like and no one complains. Defensively, this is going to be the ultimate group project. Hutchinson has 7.5 sacks and the rest of the team has 7.5 combined. Get ready for Hutchinson the cheerleader to inspire the young pass rushers to play over their heads.
Aaron Glenn
Campbell sets the tone. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will be tasked for scheming up a pass rush. Glenn interviewed last offseason for head-coach openings with the Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons. The Lions are happy he stayed because the defense has improved this season. Even after Hutchinson left the Cowboys game, Detroit still was able to create pressure and dominate Dallas’ offense.
“What gives me hope moving forward is Aaron Glenn,” Campbell said. “We’ve been coaching here for four years. And he’s done everything in his power to work around any personnel we have and use the players we have and get the most production we can. I have a lot of faith in that D-line room.”
The Lions lost their other starting defensive end Marcus Davenport for the season as well. Their significant improvement in the secondary this season provides a new set of options. Safety Brian Branch could be a menace blitzing and then fellow safety Kerby Joseph, who notched his fourth interception on Sunday, can clean up the mess. Time for Glenn to get creative. If he figures this out, he’ll earn a head-coaching position next cycle.
Run game
The Lions are built to run. While the rest of the NFL is abandoning running backs, the Lions are leaning in. They shocked the experts by taking Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 in the 2023 draft. Last weekend they signed David Montgomery to a two-year, $18.25 million contract extension. Pro Football Focus ranks Detroit’s offensive line No. 2 overall and Penei Sewell is the top-ranked run-blocking right tackle.
Detroit has a reputation for explosive plays, especially with the emergence of wide receiver Jameson Williams. But if they need to keep the defense off the field, they have the infrastructure to control the ball. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson continues to be one of the most unpredictable play-callers in the league. He can keep defenses guessing even if the team needs to be more conservative.
Recent history
The Lions didn’t need much of a defense to reach the brink of a Super Bowl last season. Even with Hutchinson playing out of his mind, they had the No. 19-ranked unit. This year’s defense might not even be that good without Hutchinson. But the offense is arguably better this season with the emergence of Williams and the addition of receiver Tim Patrick.
The other major difference from last season is the competition. The 49ers are the only team that can match the Lions’ array of weapons. San Francisco is 3-3 and not as big a threat. Other quality teams have emerged, but no one that will scare Detroit.... at least on paper.
As for older history, Lions fans need to put their long championship drought out of their minds. This isn’t the same team that has disappointed them for decades. This version of the Lions faces an enormous challenge, but they’re in a unique position to find solutions and keep their Super Bowl hopes alive.
