Injuries have hit the Detroit Lions' defense on seemingly a weekly basis lately, and two more huge losses came in Week 15 against the Buffalo Bills (defensive tackle Alim McNeill, cornerback Carlton Davis).
That this is still at top-10 scoring defense is a credit to the work Aaron Glenn is doing, as he bolsters his head coaching resume ahead of the upcoming hiring cycle.
Head coach Dan Campbell, a bit profanely on the radio or a little softer later, has sent a consistent message this week after the loss to the Bills. The Lions have enough to succeed, and they will get it done no matter who is unavailable. That message has certainly also been sent behind the scenes, and players have embraced it (some very bluntly).
Aaron Glenn takes his turn to pass along message Lions are sending
The Lions' defense has shown cracks lately, allowing 30-plus points in each of their last two games after not doing so in any of the first 12 this season. It's also fair to mention the Green Bay Packers and the Bills are pretty good offenses.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Glenn took his turn to dismiss the negative narrative around the Lions.
"We’re 12-2 and the sky’s falling," Glenn said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "We’re going to the playoffs. We’re in the tournament. Why in the hell is the sky falling for us? What do we have to sit back and be sad? We let you guys do that."
“I believe that we can be a damn good defense. Our job is to go play football and that’s what we’re going to continue to do,” Glenn said. “We lost one game. Well, two games. We lost two games. We have chance to win out and accomplish everything that we want to accomplish so why should we sit back and wallow and think the sky’s falling? It’s dumb.”
Campbell and Glenn have sent public messages this week after the loss to the Bills, and with more injuries hitting. But they are also parallel messages to the players in the Lions' locker room, if the reinforcement was truly even needed.