Detroit Lions Must Take Serious Look at Defense, Make Tough Decisions

Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions bounced back in a huge way Sunday, defeating the Arizona Cardinals, 45-21.

The Lions, which had lost two of their previous three games, seemingly heard the critics loud and clear. They played with an extra source of motivation and left no stone unturned in the Week 5 contest, notably scoring on seven straight drives from the second quarter on.

Detroit do-it-all back Jahmyr Gibbs spearheaded the dominant offensive effort, delivering a sensational performance. He notched big run after big run, evading defenders left and right on his way to 151 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

Gibbs flashed big-play ability all afternoon, reminding Lions fans on multiple occasions of legendary back Barry Sanders. Gibbs finished the intraconference affair with a season-high 207 all-purpose yards.

With each passing week, Gibbs draws more and more comparisons to Sanders. And those won't stop anytime soon, especially now that the fourth-year back has surpassed the Lions all-time great for the most touchdowns in NFL history before the age of 25 (58).

Gibbs wasn't the only offensive standout for the Lions Sunday, either.

Detroit signal-caller Jared Goff produced yet another efficient performance to open up the 2026 campaign. The veteran quarterback played mistake-free ball, throwing for three touchdowns and zero interceptions in the blowout victory.

And through five weeks, Goff has compiled an impressive 1,485 passing yards and 12 passing touchdowns without tossing a single interception.

He's playing the definition of winning football, and is now just one of two quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for that many touchdowns without an interception through a season‘s first five games. The other QB: Russell Wilson.

"Goff is just Goff. He’s as good as they come,” Campbell said after the Week 5 win. “I’ve been so impressed with the way he’s played. He’s just gotten better every year, and here we are five in, he’s even better than last year. He’s the real deal.”

Goff is “the real deal” and has been all season long. And on Sunday, his teammates came through with their best collective performance of the 2026 campaign.

Yet, it doesn't mean the Lions have nothing to worry about headed into their bye week.

The Lions are still very much a flawed team, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. And while getting Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch will provide a much-needed boost, it won't cure all the team's defensive woes.

The Lions will notably remain thin at the cornerback position, a weakness which will likely continue to be the team's Achilles’ heel. Additionally, it's a sizable enough deficiency to where it could impede Detroit's efforts to win games in future weeks, just as it already has multiple times this season.

Along with that, Campbell & Co. need to take a critical look at defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard's performance this season.

More often than not in 2026, Sheppard has been unable to put the defense in position to succeed. He's become known not only for devising faulty gameplans but also for failing to make the necessary in-game adjustments to get his unit off the field.

So, just because the Lions held the Cardinals to 21 points Sunday, it doesn't mean the second-year coordinator is off the hot seat all of a sudden. In fact, his fate is still very much in question, and I'm not yet convinced he's the right man to lead the defense moving forward.

Campbell & Co. could very well feel the same way. Subsequently, if they decide to keep him in charge of the defense, it doesn't mean he's guaranteed a job the remainder of the season. I think he deserves to be assessed on a weekly basis, and if his job performance regresses, there should be serious consideration for stripping him of his duties.

Sheppard still has much to prove in the weeks ahead, and so do the Lions.

Through the first five games of 2026, Campbell's squad has hardly looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. And beating the Cardinals doesn't move the needle for me (and it shouldn't for you, either).

Remember, Arizona was reeling coming into Sunday, and with the Week 5 loss, has now dropped four consecutive games. Consequently, you can't use the matchup with the Cardinals as a true measuring stick for where the Lions stand as a team.

The offense was undeniably explosive against Arizona, and has been the highest-scoring unit in the league so far this year.

However, it won't mean a thing if the defense reverts to its bad habits against Green Bay in Week 7. Sheppard, for his sake and the sake of Detroit's playoff hopes, can ill-afford for that to happen.

Without question, the Lions’ success the remainder of 2026 hinges upon Sheppard's ability to get the most out of the team's defensive personnel.

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