Grading Aidan Hutchinson: 'He'll Be Better Next Week'
The debut of Detroit Lions rookie Aidan Hutchinson was less than stellar.
Hutchinson, making his home debut in front of fans at Ford Field, had his aggressiveness used against him, as quarterback Jalen Hurts broke contain and rushed for 90 yards.
Hutchinson nearly made several impactful plays, but the talented rookie is not compensated at a high rate to "almost" make the key plays. He is compensated to make tackles, disrupt the pocket and to sack the quarterback.
Game in, game out. Season after season.
Hutchinson got his first glimpse of NFL speed, and now must react accordingly.
The No. 2 overall pick will be counted on this upcoming week to rebound quickly and to produce against Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz, who is not nearly as mobile as Hurts and can be turnover prone when pressured.
“Listen here, he’ll be better next week," said Dan Campbell. "He needed this, and they all needed it. Most rookies, that’s the way it goes. You get into your first game, and it’s just a little different. And, look, I’ve got to watch the tape, but I know that he’ll be better next week than he was this week. And so will (Malcolm) Rodriguez, and so will all those rookies -- so will Kerby (Joseph). And so, that’s just nature of the game.”
Unfortunately, the defensive line unit, despite all the efforts made to improve the rush defense, did next-to-nothing in its efforts to limit the rushing attack of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Only the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns allowed more rushing yards in Week 1.
Detroit's revamped defensive line allowed 216 rushing yards in the season opener, despite an obvious focus on limiting the run the week leading up to the game.
As a result, Hutchinson earned a "D" grade for his first performance in a Lions uniform.
