In the world we live in, instant reactions quickly become a narrative. In NFL terms, this often means overreacting to first few games of a player's career. For Detroit Lions rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold, that has meant people suggesting he be taken out of the starting lineup three games in or giving him an aggressively bad grade for his performance over his first four games.
There is no doubt Arnold has work to do. Penalties have been a big issue (eight through four games, notably including five pass interferences). As expected since he's a rookie cornerback, he has been targeted plenty. But Lions coaches are committed to letting him work through his penalty issues, and as head coach Dan Campbell essentially put it this past week, hone his craft.
Another NFL analyst takes opportunity to overreact to Terrion Arnold's early showing
Marcus Mosher of the The 33rd Team, of course, had Arnold on his recent list of five rookies who are falling short of early expectations in 2024.
"Many considered Terrion Arnold the best cornerback in the 2024 NFL Draft because of his experience and pro-readiness coming out of Alabama. While Quinyon Mitchell was the better athlete and had more ball skills, Arnold was someone Nick Saban trusted to play as a freshman, playing him in the slot and on the outside."
"However, Arnold’s had a rough start through four games and teams are starting to pick on him. He has allowed just 5.7 yards per target on 29 targets, which is well above the league average. Still, he’s been called for eight penalties for 118 yards. He had three penalties alone against the Seahawks, as he’s been far too physical."
"One of Arnold's biggest problems is that he “panics” when the ball is in the air, and his first reaction is to grab the receiver. That can be a death knell for cornerbacks, especially against top receivers who know how to sell contact."
"Arnold is a young player, and the Lions have only played four games, so it’s safe to assume his play will improve. Detroit has a tough upcoming schedule, including a matchup against CeeDee Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6."
Mosher went for it by suggesting Arnold "panics" when the ball is in the air, which is easy to default to when he has had the penalties he has. The point about top receivers selling contact only softens that a little.
Over his last three games, according to Pro Football Focus, Arnold has allowed eight catches on 15 targets (53.3 percent catch rate allowed) and 41 of the 121 yards he has allowed came on one play. According to PFF, he has allowed passer ratings of 51.4 and 56.3 in the last two games.
A four-game sample of penalty issues and a bye week has invited certain takes about Arnold's early performance. His most recent performance defies those takes, but he has to keep that momentum going to fully dismiss the early narratives. A big test is coming on Sunday afternoon in Dallas.