If the Detroit Lions want to get back to the top of the NFC, more needs to be expected out of the defense.
One area that can make a world of a difference is by securing more takeaways, as Detroit Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman notes in his pre-training camp roster preview.
"Having All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph for only six games due to injury last year certainly played a factor in Detroit finishing the season with just 19 takeaways, which ranked 19th in the NFL. Joseph leads all NFL safeties in interceptions (20) and passes defended (35) since 2022. It's unclear how much his knee injury will allow him to play this season.
A healthy DJ Reed at cornerback for the entire season could help in the interception department as well. Linebacker Jack Campbell is one of the best in the business at punching the football out, and an improved Detroit pass rush could be the biggest helper in generating more takeaways as a defense in 2026."
Takeaways have become a point of emphasis for the Lions during minicamp and training camp. As Twentyman notes, the Lions' defense finished 19th in the league in takeaways. To add, per Pro Football Reference, the Lions' defense were in that same range in offensive plays against them (1,050), percentage of opposing drives ending in a score (40.1%), and percentage of drives ending in turnovers (10.2%).
A part of that could be accepted defensive penalties on first downs, which was tied for third in the league with 38. Notably, the Lions were also tied with the second fewest accepted penalties on defense overall with 91. However, the word "accepted" is key as teams may have declined a penalty after a successful play, which the Lions were highly vulnerable to.
Whether it's takeaways or penalties, the fact remains that the Lions did a poor job getting off the field. This meant fewer opportunities for the elite Lions offense to build upon a lead, keep a lead, or get back into a game. Of course, prolonged drives on defense also increases the strain on a player, helping increase the risk of injury.
A healthier defense should help with takeaways
The Lions were obviously hurt by injuries, and their takeaway numbers show one area that was severely impacted by that. Last season, out of 13 total interceptions, only two Lions defenders finished with more than one INT: safety Kerby Joseph (3) and cornerback D.J. Reed (2). Joseph and Reed missed a combined 18 games last season, and played a combined 17, with only four games played together.
Fumble recoveries aren't all that better, with only five teams recovering fewer on defense than the Lions' six. Of those six, Jack Campbell was the only Lion on defense to recover more than two of them. Reed was one of the others, along with EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, safety Brian Branch, and linebacker Trevor Nowaske.
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The Lions had nine takeaways in the first five weeks last season, six in the final five weeks, and only four in the seven games in-between. That aligns with both Joseph and Reed's injuries. Joseph would play his last game of the 2025 season in Week 6, while Reed missed Week 5 through Week 10.
That's why Twentyman sees takeaways as a big opportunity for the Lions. If Joseph and Reed are as healthy as they can be, that has a big ripple effect across the defense. If the pass rush also improves with rookie EDGE Derrick Moore, who Twentyman has as his rookie to watch in training camp, those turnover opportunities could become more abundant in 2026.
A large takeaway gap between the Lions and the Bears
The Lions are going to need that to be the case, as the Chicago Bears won the NFC North thanks to their league-leading 33 takeaways -- 23 of them being INTs. The five teams behind the Bears in that stat all made the playoffs, with the Seattle Seahawks (25 takeaways) winning the Super Bowl.
Takeaways aren't a be-all-end-all sort of thing, as the Super Bowl runner up New England Patriots also had 19 despite their overall fantastic defense, but it's one piece of the puzzle. A piece that might've won the Patriots the Super Bowl had they been better in that regard, or if the Seahawks had been worse.
So in a close NFC North that was decided by only two games, that takeaway gap between the Lions and Bears needs to shrink in 2026 if the Lions hope to return as the Kings in the North. If not, "Legion of Gloom" may be the more fitting name for this defense.
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