To the surprise of no one, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 4 against the Detroit Lions.
It's the second time in four weeks an opposing player won their respective conferences Offensive Player of the Week, with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen being the other in his five touchdown performance in Week 2.
Coincidentally, both McMillan and Allen's performances were on primetime, but the issues with the Lions secondary and linebackers is not a matter of the lights being too bright. They've struggled regardless of the day of the week or the time slot.
But Sunday will mark the first time the Lions will play a late-afternoon game, as they head out into the road to play the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe this time slot is the one that magically repairs the defense?
The Lions defense has been a gift to opposing offenses
The Lions will have their work cut out from them against the Cardinals as they attempt to defend All-Pro tight end Trey McBride and WRs Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. The Cardinals offense hasn't been setting the world on fire, with QB Jacoby Brissett averaging 204.5 yards per game through the air, but the Lions are prone to offer up the matches to ignite explosive plays.
Twice this season the Lions have allowed a WR to reach 180 receiving yards. For reference, the current leader in receiving yards per game is Dallas Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb with 124.5. In Calvin Johnson's record-breaking season in 2012, he averaged 122.8 yards per game.
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To put this further into perspective, McMillan had 192 receiving yards on 14 catches this past Sunday. Entering Sunday, McMillan had 193 receiving yards and 12 receptions. The Lions defense allowed three weeks worth of McMillan output in a single game.
Beyond this, the Lions have allowed four receivers to reach 100 yards, and three of them to record double-digit receptions. They've allowed three receiving TDs in three out of the four games, and two in the other. TEs, in particular, have accounted for six of the 11 total receiving TDs given up.
That all is just scratching the surface for how bad things have gotten for the Lions, but there is still reason to hope.
Cardinals receivers have yet to have a monster game
The Lions defense will be going up against a Cardinals receiving corps that has yet to see a receiver eclipse 100 yards in a game this season. Right now, they only have three receivers above 100 yards for the entire season. Such games haven't been too common for the Cardinals in recent years as Wilson only has three 100-yard games in his career, Harrison Jr. has two, and McBride has eight.
Only once has a Cardinals pass catcher caught ten or more passes in a game in 2026 (Wilson in Week 3). Only McBride and Wilson have caught more than 20 through four weeks. McBride is also the only one to have multiple receiving TDs this season.
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and the Lions secondary and LBs need to make progress in Week 5. This is not a strong passing game like the Panthers or a dynamic offense like the Bills. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing used to run the Cardinals offense, and should have more than enough player intel for Sheppard to work with.
There's no excuse for another disaster.
A big Bye week is coming up
If the Lions can't even slow down this Cardinals offense, then it's going to be a long Bye week, win or lose. Tough decisions will have to be made, whether it's a bigger-than-usual trade or a coaching staff change. There has to be a sense of urgency.
Last season perfectly illustrated that. Head coach Dan Campbell gave former OC John Morton the Bye week to prepare for the Minnesota Vikings. It was only until after that loss coming out of the Bye that Campbell stripped Morton of his play-calling duties. If the Lions had won that game, they're 10-7 and in the playoffs instead of last place in the NFC North.
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Campbell will likely give Sheppard a similar grace, especially with Branch Branch's impending return. But Branch can't be the solution. It's great that he's coming back, but he'll need time to get up to speed. He's also not an outside CB, which is the defense's most glaring issue. If Sheppard is staying on, then he'll need the same faith and support from Holmes that he's gotten from Campbell, and that can only come from the transaction wire.
The Lions made the wrong choices last year by waiting to demote Morton and standing pat at the trade deadline. Maybe being content and letting things ride out is the right choice this time, but that's a massive gamble with two big home divisional games coming out the Bye week that they cannot afford to lose.
There's still time before the Bye. The Lions will gain a lot of clarity this Sunday against the Cardinals, and how they perform against them and respond during the Bye week will dictate the rest of their season. Just got to hope they make the right calls this time.
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