Defense Owned Allen Park and a Linebacker Made His Case
The defense took over training camp. That’s the headline from Allen Park, and if you’ve spent any time watching this team over the last decade, you know how good it feels to say that out loud. Day 10 of camp was all about linebackers flying around, safeties making plays, and a few guys who weren’t supposed to be here making it very difficult for Brad Holmes to cut them.
Let’s break down who stood out.
Joe Bachie Keeps Showing Up
Joe Bachie is not supposed to make this roster. He’s a depth guy. A camp body. A Michigan State product who probably gets a nice writeup in August and then quietly gets waived before Week 1.
Except he won’t stop making plays.
On Monday, Bachie broke up a pass in the red zone on Luke Altmyer, then came back and batted down another ball while generating pressure. These aren’t highlight reel moments, but they’re consistent. He’s doing the little things every single practice, and at some point you have to stop calling them little things and start asking if this guy deserves a roster spot.
It’s getting hard to ignore him. And no, this isn’t just Michigan State bias talking. Bachie has shown up enough that even if you went to that school up north, you’d notice.
Devin White Is a Heat-Seeking Missile
When the Lions signed Devin White about a week ago, the reaction was pretty lukewarm. Fine, whatever. Depth at linebacker. Maybe he can contribute on special teams. He hasn’t been the same guy since Tampa Bay, so don’t get your hopes up.
Well, about that.
White is playing like a man possessed. If a tackle needs to be made, he’s making it. The phrase that keeps coming up is heat-seeking missile, because when White comes downhill, you better hope you’re not in his way. He’s everywhere. He’s violent. He looks like a starter.
Now, there are some coverage issues. He had two big coverage mistakes on Monday that are worth noting, because if you can’t cover in this league, you can’t stay on the field. But he also broke up a pass in the end zone on Sam LaPorta, so it’s not like he’s helpless back there.
Right now, White is the starter at will linebacker. Malcolm Rodriguez is fine, but he’s not beating White out. Maybe when Jimmy Rolder gets back healthy, things shift. But as of now, this is Devin White’s job to lose.
Chuck Clark Is Running the Safety Room
Chuck Clark had himself a day. First, he picked off a tipped ball in the end zone. Then a few plays later, he tipped another pass and Nick Whiteside came down with the interception. Clark is everywhere, and more importantly, he’s clearly the leader of the safety group. Everyone is looking to him. Everyone is following his lead.
If you’re worried about not having Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch available for Week 1, take a breath. Clark is the kind of veteran who makes everyone around him better. The Lions are in good hands with him running the back end.
The entire safety group had a strong day, honestly. Dan Jackson grabbed an interception, and Christian Izien was all over the field playing nickel. If this defense is going to take a step forward, the safety play is going to be a big reason why.
Christian Izien Making Plays at Nickel
Izien deserves his own mention. He had a really nice interception on Monday, reading his man every step of the way and coming down with the pick while playing nickel. That’s exactly where you expect to see him, and it’s good to see him making plays in coverage.
Roger McCreary is supposed to be the slot coverage cornerback, and McCreary had some nice plays too. But the thought on Izien was that he was going to be more of a run stopper in the slot. Getting a pick? You take that every single day.
Seth McLaughlin Holds His Own at Center
For a guy who had literally never snapped the ball to Jared Goff before Monday, Seth McLaughlin had a pretty solid first day. He’s not going to make anyone forget Frank Ragnow, but he played well enough to earn some props.
McLaughlin is going to play the majority of the preseason game on Thursday since he’s the only starting center on the roster right now while they wait for Cade Mays to get back. The Lions gave Michael Niese some opportunities with the second team, and he’ll play in the preseason too, but this is McLaughlin’s job right now.
When Juice Scruggs gets back, he’s probably going to push McLaughlin hard. He might even steal the job. But for a guy who got thrust into the starting center role and had never taken a snap with the starting offense before, he showed up and deserves credit for that.
Is Devin White the answer at linebacker or just another veteran signing that looks good in August and disappears by October? Drop your take below.
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