Detroit Lions Stock Report: Week 1

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Stock Down:  Stephen Tulloch

More and more I seem to be prefacing my analysis of Stephen Tulloch’s play by explaining that I’ve been a fan of his long before he  joined the Detroit Lions. Tulloch joined the Lions back in 2011 and has had hundreds of tackle since being slotted as their starting MLB.  Back in 2013, Tulloch put up big numbers and still looked like one of the best inside backers in the NFL but his knee was bothering him and it showed in coverage.

He injured that same knee in 2014 and the thought was that with the time to heal he could come back as strong as before.  That hasn’t been the case and Tulloch has looked slow and sluggish.  Unfortunately, it’s no longer just in coverage where his ability is lacking, but all over the field.  Whether it’s failing to disengage from blockers or staying too shallow in coverage every time he’s asked to be there, Tulloch has looked like a benchable player.

This isn’t an overreaction to one game, either.  Stephen Tulloch looked done during the preseason, and it was only through sheer long standing fandom that I thought he would find his way back during the regular season. It would be a pleasant surprise to see Tulloch return to at least a serviceable 2 down player, but early indications are that this long time underdog, who was too small and too slow to play in college, too limited to play as a pro is finally unable to overcome.

Next: The Marciano Flip