Hutchinson Missed Some Tackles, But 'He Needs a Little Help, Too'

Dan Campbell discussed the play of Aidan Hutchinson in his rookie debut.

Detroit Lions rookie Aidan Hutchinson put himself in a position to make plays against the Philadelphia Eagles, but was unsuccessful in securing the needed tackle or sack to aid the defense. 

The No. 2 overall pick was credited with three pressures, and was able to find his way into the backfield regularly.  

His aggressiveness was used against him, as he fell victim to overpursuing Jalen Hurts on multiple occasions. 

As he evolves, the ability to close will be the determining factor in his level of success and longevity in the league. 

"Yeah, there was some stuff in there that -- the takeaway I had and I think we all had was, ‘OK, this is what’s like. This is it. This is the true taste of the NFL.’ And just, man, adjusting to that caliber athlete, a full game," said Dan Campbell. "Now, there’s certainly some things to where it looks like, ‘Man, he’s got to make that play.’ But, he needs a little help, too.

"If we rush and close the edge a little bit, then it boxes in that space between where he’s at and the quarterback. So, there’s a little bit of that, too," Campbell continued. "But, yeah, look, honestly, I’m not even worried about him. He’s going to adjust from this. He’s prideful, he’s a pro, I already know that about him as a rookie. I think we all do. So, he’s going to want to better himself. He’s going to learn from this, and he will be better.”

But, the struggles of the defense do not fall on Hutchinson's shoulders alone.

After reviewing the game on a couple of occasions, the defense struggled with missed assignments, not maintaining gap responsibility and subpar tackling, all amplified by Jalen Hurts' elusiveness and willingness to leave the pocket when plays broke down.

Fundamentally, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn must instill in the defense keeping its feet moving, as many defenders found themselves out of position when they stopped moving their feet in pursuit of tackles.

As a result, the defenders were oftentimes lunging at their target, instead of utilizing proper, fundamental techniques to secure a tackle.  

Campbell must also do his due diligence by bringing in a more athletic quarterback, as the league is seeing a wave of mobile quarterbacks who are dual-threats. 

"I have to do a better job of getting them prepared and better looks for that," said Campbell. "I’ve got to do a better job of fabricating a quarterback that can give them that. We did a couple of things, but it wasn’t enough in my opinion. That falls on me.”