Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
A few short weeks ago, we were all talking about who was going to be fired and when. The team was reeling after the firings of their president and general manager, with their offensive coordinator and line coaches gone soon before. And yet here we are talking about a two game winning streak that started when the Detroit Lions beat the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau field for the first time since several Detroit Lions players were even born. They won again at home against the Raiders, and we now have two weeks worth of stock to catch up on. There has been more up than down, but that doesn’t mean I’m letting everyone off the hook. Let’s start on a positive note, though, shall we?
Stock Up: Darius Slay
Few would have claimed that Darius Slay was playing well to start the NFL season off in 2015. His excellent 2014 play was suddenly dulled as he let big play after big play get past him. He promised to batten down the hatches and fix his issues, the exact opposite of what Detroit Lions fans are used to hearing from their second round defensive backs say.
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Louis Delmas was famous for going for the big play, which often led to some breathtaking plays but also some elementary broken ones. When asked about his style of play, after incurring several injuries due to the same, he claimed he wasn’t going to change who he is. Eventually, he left Detroit for Miami. Darius Slay on the other hand, was shrewd enough to look at his play and see that there was plenty lacking.
This isn’t anything new for the third year cornerback, who after a rough rookie season spent his entire sophomore offseason working with hall of famer Rod Woodson to improve his game. He came back renewed and lit up 2014, putting himself cleanly on the map. He adjusted far quicker in 2015, going from an up and down playmaker to a near complete lock down corner. I don’t use that term lightly, either, as Slay has allowed only two catches for 15 yards in three weeks of football. We as Detroit Lions fans have not often seen that kind of dominance, but it may be sooner than later that Darius Slay earns the nickname he gave for himself. The Earth. He covers everybody. It still doesn’t make sense, but neither does making Aaron Rodgers look pedestrian.
Next: Once Up, Now Spiraling Downward