After consecutive NFC North crowns, the Lions saw massive change on both sides of the football this season. Both coordinators left for open head-coaching jobs: Ben Johnson went to the Bears after leading Detroit's offense the past three years and Aaron Glenn, their defensive coordinator from 2021 to '24, took the Jets' job.
Glenn took longtime Detroit staffer Tanner Engstrand with him to be New York's offensive coordinator, too. The unknown of key departures on the Lions' coaching staff brought questions heading into the season as they began another campaign with high expectations, hoping to break through and earn the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance.
After a Week 1 loss to the Packers in Green Bay where Detroit struggled offensively, not scoring a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter, preemptive panic surrounded the Lions. At least on the outside, that is. Within their walls, they remained calm and rattled off four wins in a row, quickly flipping the discourse on its head and asserting themselves as Super Bowl contenders.
Star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson was an early favorite for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award a year ago before he suffered a broken tibia and fibula that ended his season prematurely in Week 6. Now, he's back in full force and a leading candidate to receive DPOY honors this season with six sacks and four forced fumbles through six games.
His confidence in Detroit's coaching staff and specifically new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard never wavered through all the change. Hutchinson spoke with Sports Illustrated on behalf of Head & Shoulders as part of their new campaign to tackle dandruff-causing microbes alongside longtime brand icon Troy Polamalu as the two aim to bring scalp health to the national stage and tackle the ultimate scalp villain.
Sheppard started his NFL coaching career in Detroit in '21, a year before Hutchinson arrived as the second pick in the '22 draft. He coached the Lions' linebackers for four seasons before he took over as DC with Glenn's departure. With a strong relationship already developed, the star defensive lineman was thrilled to hear Sheppard got the nod.
"We had a great relationship the past few years, so when I heard he got promoted I was super excited," Hutchinson told SI. "He's super intelligent. Never for one second did I question his ability to call plays and for a first time play caller, I think he's done an incredible job. I'm really excited to see how he continues to evolve and to adapt to the circumstances because that's what he's done a great job doing."
Detroit's four-game winning streak started with a win over Johnson and the Bears in Week 2, then was highlighted by a victory over the Ravens in Baltimore on Monday Night Football where they sacked Lamar Jackson seven times, including one from Hutchinson. The Lions' hot streak ended Sunday night in Kansas City with a 30-17 loss to the Chiefs where Detroit's high-powered offense was stymied.
They have a bounce-back opportunity next week with another prime-time game against the 5-1 Buccaneers at home on MNF. If the Lions have showed us anything over their meteoric rise over the past few seasons, they won't wallow in any speed bumps they encounter.
"Ultimately, at the end of the day, if we just stay in our little cocoon and we just fight every single week and prepare the best we can and give ourselves the best shot to win, that's all we can control. That's really the focus," Hutchinson said.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aidan Hutchinson Details Lions' Approach After Coordinator Changes This Season.
