When the pads are first put on during training camp, there is a natural balancing act.
The foundations, technique, and subtleties that coaches emphasize during the ramp-up period often take a back seat.
When hitting begins, there is an air of exhilaration. Players are eager to show themselves and please their coaches, which might lead to blunders at first. Dan Campbell laughed about it on Monday. But rest assured, he didn’t expect it to last long.
“I would expect it’s going to be much better today,” Campbell said when asked how long for those fundamentals to return. “And that’s what happens — is inevitably, you’re just out there trying to win and you don’t think about anything else. You’re just trying to win, so that’s what last night was. You watch the tape, you go over it, man, our coaches are on it, like, ‘Hey man, we just talked about this. Look at your footwork, look at your hand placement,’ and so that was an emphasis last night and I expect it to be much better today. So, it’ll come (back) pretty quick.”
What if it doesn’t? Well…
“The guys who can’t adjust to that are probably not going to be here,” he said. “They won’t make the roster. “And they are aware of this.”
Something to bear in mind as camp progresses. And now for Tuesday’s observations.
Camp spotlight: LB Derrick Barnes
Derrick Barnes has been in the heart of verbal altercations and light shoving among teammates on multiple occasions this summer.
Moments like this are common in training camp. This is a competitive environment. Things get physical, and instructors don’t shy away from that level of intensity. But for Barnes to bring it? That’s something new. He’s playing with an edge that we haven’t seen before. Ask him about it, and he’ll tell you it’s not a coincidence.
“I saw a quote yesterday,” Barnes informed me. “I was intended to see it. ‘There is a distinction between being polite and being a good guy.’ I told myself I wasn’t going to be pleasant on the field anymore.
Aaron Glenn is delighted with the sound you are hearing.
Barnes, a 2021 fourth-round pick, has improved with each year he’s been in the league. He came in as a raw yet athletic linebacker who needed to learn the roles around him. When he knew what his assignments were, you could see his speed to the ball and playmaking abilities in action. However, years ago, such situations were rare.
That is a thing of the past now. Despite the arrival of first-round pick Jack Campbell, Lions LB coach Kelvin Sheppard assured reporters in training camp last year that Barnes would not go down without a fight. And he was correct. Barnes started all of camp at Mike linebacker and early in the season. He was a great contributor to an improving defense while also being one of the friendliest men in the locker room.
Barnes had a prove-it year, and he demonstrated his ability to perform the job. He now has a different one and hopes to bring a new perspective to it. The Lions appear to be set on playing Barnes at Sam linebacker. He’s been a consistent presence in camp thus far, and it’s a natural position for him given his athleticism. Barnes would frequently rush the passer in college at Purdue, but playing Mike linebacker in Detroit’s system didn’t provide the same possibilities. However, this offseason, the Lions settled on Campbell as Mike and Alex Anzalone as Will, allowing for a move to Sam.
In this role, Barnes will be asked to either rush or drop into coverage on a given snap. He’s a perfect fit for it, to be quite honest. The Lions experimented with Campbell there last year and he never quite took to it. Barnes is different. He has a background rushing the passer and some natural bend for a linebacker. He notched a sack against Goff in a team period Tuesday in that role. As for coverage, we all saw his interception of Baker Mayfield in the Divisional Round to send the Lions to the NFC Championship game. It was borderline textbook coverage — beginning on the line of scrimmage before sinking into his zone and reading Mayfield. He did something very similar for an interception vs. Goff on Tuesday but he disguised it even better. He’s learning.
DETROIT CAN FEEL IT. #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/3h31FBHtKV
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024
Barnes, one of the defense’s more underappreciated players, might have a big breakout at Sam. It’s his fourth year in the system, and there’s a set norm. He stated he feels like a veteran yet plays like a guy who can still improve. He’s playing in a position that matches his strengths. Barnes has the potential to be a true playmaking linebacker for the Lions if his camp performance continues into the season. And he’s taken it upon himself to play with a vicious streak on a Lions defense that, to be honest, could use some more meanness.
“I’m a decent guy,” Barnes admitted. “But being kind gets you used and disrespected. So that has been my approach throughout camp, and I intend to keep it that way.”
It’s been so exciting to watch everything come together.
Situational period
At the end of practice, the Lions ran a late-game situational period — offense vs. defense.
Here’s the scenario: 51 seconds left in the game, down 30-24, ball on the Detroit 49, one timeout.
- Goff pass complete to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Crosser over the middle. Gain of 18 yards to the 31-yard line. First-and-10.
- Goff pass complete to Jameson Williams for a gain of nine yards, down to the 22-yard line. Offense uses its final timeout. Second-and-1 coming up.
- Goff end zone shot to Jameson Williams. Carlton Davis III in coverage. No real play on the ball to make. Looked like a throwaway, back of the end zone. Third-and-1 coming up.
- Goff pass to Sam LaPorta broken up by Ifeatu Melifonwu. Aidan Hutchinson provided pressure. Fourth-and-1 coming up.
- Goff pass complete to Williams (with his hands), down to the 8-yard line for a first down.
- Offense hurries up to spike. Second-and-10 from the 8-yard line. Just 12 seconds left.
- Goff pass complete to St. Brown. Sidearm toss, with yards after the catch from St. Brown into the end zone with four seconds left. Touchdown, Lions.
- Bates’ PAT is good. Lions take a 31-30 lead.
After that, it was time for the second-team offense. They had a bit of a different situation.
Here’s the scenario: 28 seconds left, down 30-24, ball on the Opponent 35, one timeout remaining.
- Sudfeld pass complete to Tom Kennedy. Gain of 10 yards for a first down, down to the Opponent 25. Out of bounds to stop the clock with 21 seconds left.
- Sudfeld pass complete to WR Kaden Davis for a 21-yard touchdown.
- Bates’ PAT is good. Offense takes a 31-30 lead.
The offense clearly got the best of the defense in that drill, but to be fair, most situational periods so far have been won by the defense. They’re fun to watch, though.
News, notes and observations
• Lions rookie G Christian Mahogany remains out with an illness. Here’s the update from Campbell: “It really is a day-by-day. We have virtually checked him in, so he’s virtually in meetings and things of that nature, but man, when we know he’s ready to get here and be a part of what we’re doing. Believe us, we’ll get him here as fast as possible. But as of right now, we have to assume we don’t have him.”
• Aside from Mahogany and DJ Reader, a couple of other players did not practice Tuesday: RB Zonovan Knight and WR Jalon Calhoun.
• Lions DL John Cominsky left in the middle of practice on a cart and was evaluated for a right knee injury. We hope to hear more soon.
• Lions OL Netane Muta was taken off the field earlier in practice to be evaluated for a left shoulder injury.
• CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. recorded the first interception of camp during a team period. It comes with the caveat of a would-be sack by Daron Gilbert, I believe. But the throw was made and Rakestraw came down with it. He was pumped to get it. Said Rakestraw: “It gives me a lot of confidence just showing that I’m doing the right things and the older guys can trust me a little bit more. It was the first one so that was big for me. Just gotta keep stacking days.”
• Here’s Terrion Arnold’s reaction to his friend’s interception:
Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw had the first team period interception in training camp.
Fellow rookie CB Terrion Arnold crashed his media scrum with a message:
“Ennis set the tone today.” pic.twitter.com/zlfV9VSJWJ
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) July 30, 2024
• There was another throw by Nate Sudfeld on what looked like a miscommunication — an overthrow on a go route — that Rakestraw broke off the WR to try to track down. He either dropped it or it was a bit too far beyond his reach — didn’t get a great look at it — but he was close again.
• Jake Bates had an up-and-down day. In one session, he missed from 60 and 54, but made from 54, 50, 46, 42. He also made all three extra points.
• The Jaguars released veteran kicker/old friend Riley Patterson on Monday. Is a reunion in the cards?
• BREAKING: St. Brown dropped a pass. An extremely rare sighting. Goff attempted to hit him on a crosser over the middle. Jack Campbell was right there waiting for him. Perhaps St. Brown felt a hit coming and took his focus off the ball. Wouldn’t blame him in the slightest.
• Marcus Davenport notched a sack against Dan Skipper in a team rep.
• Daurice Fountain had another nice day. There might’ve been a miscommunication in the secondary, but it led to a pitch-and-catch slant route touchdown from Goff to Fountain for a long score. On another play with the second-team offense, he won a jump ball with Kindle Vildor, bringing down a contested catch. He also caught a pass over the middle from Sudfeld for a gain of about 15 in a team period.
• Dan Campbell said TE Parker Hesse is a guy who caught his attention on the first day of pads.
• UDFA safety Loren Strickland recorded an interception off Hooker. Steven Gilmore likely would’ve gotten home for an untouched sack on a CB blitz, but the ball was thrown anyway and it led to a pick for Strickland.
• Isaiah Williams had a big gain on an end-around. Both the first-team defense and the second-team defense have struggled to defend that play.