Detroit Lions intend to stick with their rotation following a strong debut for new CB
|Kindle Vildor saw action against his former team last weekend, and it appears like the new Detroit Lions cornerback impressed enough to earn more defensive opportunities in the future.
Jerry Jacobs began the game and finished with 53 snaps. However, Vildor took his position for a couple of series, earning 17 snaps in his club debut until cramps terminated his day.
Jacobs has been stuck in a rut for a long time, and opposing quarterbacks have made it a point to feed that side of the field. He’s been targeted seven times more than any other Lions defender, and he’s given up eight more catches.
Jacobs was the lone defender targeted at least five times in Chicago, and he also led the way in New Orleans. On Thanksgiving, the Packers threw the ball nine times to Jacobs, and you get the idea.
Aaron Glenn, the defensive coordinator, has had a difficult situation. With Emmanuel Moseley and Ceedy Duce, the Lions attempted to replace those holes in free agency. However, Moseley is gone for the season, and Duce is unlikely to return until late December or January, if at all, relegating Jacobs to a near-every-down starting position on defense.
This is when Vildor comes into play. Even with Steven Gilmore and Khalil Dorsey at Allen Park all season, he’s the first player to crack the outside cornerback rotation this season. Vildor, on the other hand, put up some solid numbers against the Bears. Vildor was regarded as the team’s best coverage defender by Pro Football Focus, allowing three catches for only 11 yards in coverage. PFF ranked Vildor as the team’s third-best defender on the day, excluding snap limits.