Lions Safety, OL Miss Thursday Practice Ahead of Steelers Game

Two key Detroit Lions were not spotted at practice.

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift (4) carries the ball defended by Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions returned to the practice field on Thursday afternoon, ahead of the team's Week 16 home contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Those not spotted at the portion of practice open to the media included center Graham Glasgow and safety Kerby Joseph.

Detroit's talented safety suffered a setback last week and continues to work to come back from an injured knee.

Left tackle Taylor Decker returned to practice, while tight end Brock Wright and linebacker Zach Cunningham were spotted working off to the side.

With the defense struggling, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard elaborated with local reporters to what degree adjustments could be made at this point in the season.

"It’s definitely not an overhaul. I mean there’s not enough time within a game week to overhaul a system and start to teach new things. That’s what Phase I, Phase II, Phase III, all that stuff in the offseason, training camp, that four- or five-week period is for," said Sheppard. "So, we have principles and core things that we’ve done in the past, some things we’re going to kind of intersplice, kind of some technique changes, some things like that.

"But it’s not just going to be a wholesale change and we’re going to show up Sunday and look like a completely different outfit. That’s not the case. We’re still going to be a tough, mean, nasty group, biting the football, finishing on the ball. It’s just some things schematically where I feel like it’s time to help these guys a little more than what I’ve done thus far as a coordinator.”

This week, the team again faces a quarterback that tends to release the football quickly.

“Yeah, Rodgers isn’t letting his body hit the ground. That just is what it is and I mean I don’t blame him. What is he, year 17, 18, something. He’s not hitting the ground, so just focus on how can I affect the game knowing that," said Sheppard. "And these guys are very aware of that. Aaron Rodgers definitely is familiar with our personnel and people and he knows the guys that can affect him in that way.

"I would imagine he has a plan. So, it’s not getting caught up in, ‘We need to hit Rodgers.’ Collectively again, as a unit, going into this game, understanding the task at hand," Sheppard commented further. "How do we collectively get this mission accomplished? And these guys are doing that thus far in the two days that we’ve been prepping.”