The Detroit Lions made some big investments into their secondary at the NFL Draft, using their top two picks on cornerbacks.
But the team may need to give top pick Terrion Arnold a break after early struggles with penalties and inconsistent play, an analyst wrote. Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports noted that Arnold has made some critical mistakes through the first three games of the season, urging the team to give him some time on the bench.
“We’re not calling him a bust here because he’s far from it. We’re not even saying that Arnold should be benched for the rest of the season. We’re saying it’s time for him to sit down for a minute to get things together,” Payton wrote.
“Arnold has played just three NFL games and he leads all defensive players in the league penalties. He also leads the league pass interference calls. This guy has played three games and he’s already been fined by the NFL for a face mask. This isn’t normal.”
Terrion Arnold’s Mistake Hurt Lions
As Payton noted, many of Arnold’s penalties have been especially costly. In the team’s 26-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams, Arnold was called for pass interference in the endzone twice, leading to 10 points for the Rams.
Arnold had another pass interference against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that led to a field goal and a facemask in the same game that put Tampa in Detroit territory, leading to a touchdown later that drive.
Payton suggested that the Lions bench Arnold in favor of Kindle Vildor, allowing Arnold to get up to speed with the NFL before he comes back into the starting lineup.
Others have pointed out Arnold’s struggles through the early part of the NFL season. Zach Moran of USA Today’s Lions Wire pointed out after Week 2 that the rookie seemed to have difficulty staying consistent.
“Early in the game, Arnold was relatively quiet—a good sign for a cornerback—but things took a turn for the worse as the game progressed,” Moran wrote. “He was flagged twice for pass interference in the end zone, costly penalties that led directly to Rams’ points. Those kinds of mistakes put the defense in tough positions, especially in a tightly contested game where every point mattered.”
Injury Could Put Pressure on Secondary
The Lions may not have much leeway to make big moves in the secondary after being hit with some key injuries. Versatile defensive back Brian Branch suffered a neck injury in the team’s win over the Arizona Cardinals on September 22, sending him into concussion protocol.
As CBS Sports noted, there could be some optimism that Branch could play on Monday as he was listed as limited in practice.
“The fact he was able to open the week in a limited fashion indicates that Branch has progressed through some of the protocols, but he’ll need to continue to move through the protocols in order to be available for Monday’s game against the Seahawks,” the report noted. “Through the first three games of the season, Branch has tallied 22 tackles (16 solo), seven passes defended and one interception.”
