Late last season, safety Ifeatu Melifonwu became one of the quiet x-factors for the Detroit Lions' defense on the way to the NFC Championship Game. But injuries kept him off the field until Sunday.
In a solid win for the Lions against the Chicago Bears, Melifonwu had four tackles and one sack as he played 51 defensive snaps. He chipped in with solid coverage on the back end as well, and played well in space
Melifonwu acknowledged he was dealing with some rust in his return to action, but he felt was able to gain strength as the game wore on.
"I think I had some rust to knock off, especially (in the) first-quarter and then I think towards the end, I got into my groove (and) started getting my wind back a little bit. I feel like (I was proud of) just being able to play that many snaps having missed that many games. (Being able to) come back and play that many snaps (is significant)."
Melifonwu is an active player whose strength is his ability to create chaos for an opposing offense. Last season, he finished with two interceptions and three sacks, proving himself as a roving playmaker late in the season.
Though it's only one game, Melifonwu immediately showed how he make an impact. That is significant news for an injury-thinned Detroit defense.
Ifeatu Melifonwu thankful to Detroit Lions for sticking with him
When players are out for an extended amount of time, there could be a temptation for a coaching staff to bail on them and write them off as injury prone. The Liions don't generally do that, and Melifonwu is thankful for that faith.
"I mean, that's a lot missing that many games (in a row) and them having the faith to put me right back in (this week). You know, that's huge and I appreciate all the coaches and I think they know that."
The reward for sticking with Melifonwu is the return of a playmaker the defense can certainly use. His first game back off injury was an impressive one, and there's reason to think this could be just the beginning of another impactful stretch run.