The Detroit Lions' defense is an abject disaster right now, and there are no easy answers after another dismal outing against the Carolina Panthers.
Should defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard be fired, or have play-calling taken from him? Would trading for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. have helped? Would trading for any cornerback help? Sheppard deserves criticism, but he's also playing with less than a full deck regardless of what he's calling.
Cornerbacks who are underwhelming talents also can't play man coverage. Everyone seems to be lost when playing zone coverage, leaving easy to exploit real estate downfield. Opposing offenses are doing whatever they want, whenever they want to do it.
It's hard to believe a more experienced defensive coordinator could do much better with this group. That part is on general manager Brad Holmes, who got defiant when pressed about the state of the current cornerback room. Then, as expected, Holmes failed to make a sufficient offer for Porter Jr.
Brian Branch can only erase so many issues for the Lions' defense
There is one piece of good news for the Lions' defense. Safety Brian Branch is close to returning from the Achilles' tear he suffered last December, and Tom Pelissero of The Ringer has reported he could return to practice this week heading into Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Once he officially returns to practice, the Lions will have a 21-day window to activate Branch. They have a tendency to slow-play the return of players coming off significant injuries, and with the bye week coming in Week 6 they likely won't rush Branch back into action against the Cardinals.
The defense needing help as desperately as it does won't make the Lions rush Branch back, which is the smart move.
When Branch does return to action, the Lions will get a much-needed versatile piece in the secondary. He covers and plays the run with equal effectiveness and aplomb, while supplying a toe-the-line physical factor opposing pass catchers have to be aware of when they venture into the Lions' secondary.
READ MORE: A future second round pick can't defend Tetairoa McMillan, either
The big question is if Branch will be right back to his previous form when he returns to game action. It can take time for a complete recovery from an Achilles' tear, and the recovery to full strength is as much mental as it is physical. He will surely shrug off the mental side, but the physical re-acclimation could be noticeable for a bit.
It's also fair to say Branch can't be the deodorant for everything that currently stinks about the Lions' defense. He can't help in two spots where a blown coverage has happened, or react to fill a void left by more than one missed assignment by a teammate.
Things can, hopefully, only get better moving forward for the Lions' defense this season. Branch's impact could be as much psychological for the rest of the unit as anything he tangibly provides on the field. But whenever he can suit up, whatever his presence looks like, he will be welcome.
Add us as a preferred source on Google