Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-06 · by Dave Hogg The Associated Press
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell acknowledges his team's struggling defense, which ranks last in the NFL for yards and points allowed per game. Despite recent efforts, such as two late-game defensive stands during Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Lions continue to struggle with significant penalties that hinder their progress. Campbell is considering various adjustments including trying different players and call combinations but admits finding immediate solutions will be challenging given the team's current issues.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Dan Campbell, coach of the Detroit Lions, acknowledged serious defensive issues after their 2-2 start with a recent loss to the Carolina Panthers, where they allowed 32 points and rank last in the NFL for yards (423.8 per game) and points (31.8 per game) allowed. Despite these struggles, the defense managed two late-game stops, but it wasn't enough to secure victory. Campbell is exploring various strategies, including moving players into different positions or altering defensive calls, while also considering injuries to key defensive backs during the upcoming bye week.
Written for “Lions Struggling Defense” on 2026-10-06,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
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anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
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No political leaning scored for article 59223 · logged 2026-10-06
DETROIT (AP) — Dan Campbell knows his Detroit Lions have serious defensive issues.
asserted
Lions → know → issues
He’s just not sure about the best way to help his team overcome them.
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team → ’ → them
After falling to 2-2 with a 32-26 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night, the Lions rank last in the NFL in yards allowed per game (423.8) and points allowed per game (31.8).
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Lions → fall → game
That’s been enough to negate an offense that ranks in the top six in yardage and scoring.
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that → negate → yardage
“The bottom line is that we have to work through this,” Campbell said Monday.
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Campbell → have → this
“There are things we haven’t tried defensively, and we’re looking at everyone we’ve got here from our own roster to the practice squad.
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we → be → squad
There might be people who we need to push into different spots or it might be about making different calls.”
uncertain
it → need → calls
Against the Panthers, the defense stiffened at the end of the game.
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defense → stiffen → game
With the Lions trailing 32-19 in the fourth quarter, the Lions forced two punts.
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Lions → trail → punts
Jared Goff took advantage the first time, throwing a touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta with 3:38 to play, but on the second drive, Goff took a sack and then the Lions were stopped on fourth down.
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Lions → take → down
“We got two stops and gave ourselves a chance to go down and get the win,” Campbell said.
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Campbell → get → win
“Until we find our true footing, we’re going to have a lot of games like that, and we have to take advantage when we have those opportunities.”
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we → find → opportunities
The Lions committed nine penalties for 67 yards, and many of them were on the offensive side of the ball.
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many → commit → ball
On the drive before Goff’s touchdown pass to LaPorta, they faced fourth-and-10 from the Carolina 15, but took a delay of game followed by a false start and couldn’t convert on fourth-and-20.
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they → face → fourth
“That’s the starting point in all three phases,” Campbell said.
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Campbell → ’ → phases
“It’s the penalties, especially the pre-snap penalties and the discipline penalties.
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It → ’ → ?
We just kind of implode at times.”
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We → implode → times
What’s working
The Lions weren’t able to finish off a comeback on Sunday night, but their offense is averaging 29.8 points and 399.3 yards per game.
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offense → work → game
They’ve only turned the ball over once this season while scoring at least 25 points in all four games.
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They → turn → games
What needs help
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needs → need → help
Opposing quarterbacks are completing passes at a 69.8% clip with 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
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quarterbacks → oppose → touchdowns
Detroit is giving up an average of 304 yards passing per game, another category where it ranks last in the NFL.
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it → give → NFL
Goff is averaging more than 300 yards passing per game with a 67.7% completion rate, and he hasn’t turned the ball over a single time in more than 170 touches.
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he → average → touches
The Panthers did an outstanding job of bottling up Jahmyr Gibbs.
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Panthers → do → Gibbs
He carried the ball 15 times for 46 yards and caught four passes on seven targets for 31 yards.
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He → carry → yards
Campbell said safety Brian Branch could start practicing this week, although it isn’t clear if he could play Sunday against Arizona or if he is more likely to return after Detroit’s bye week.
uncertain
he → say → week
The loss to Carolina came exactly 10 months after he tore an Achilles tendon against the Dallas Cowboys.
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he → come → Cowboys
“I’m hopeful,” Campbell said.
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Campbell → ’m → ?
“We haven’t gotten confirmation from the doctor yet, but that’s all we are waiting on right now.”
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we → get → doctor
Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin is a significant question mark after straining a hamstring against the Panthers.
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Sin → strain → Panthers
Key number
0 — The number of division games the Lions will have played before their Week 6 bye.
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Lions → play → bye
Detroit plays Green Bay and Minnesota in its first two games after the break, but doesn’t face Chicago until Thanksgiving Day.
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Detroit → play → Day
Next steps
Put together a game plan that will take advantage of quarterback Jacoby Brissett’s limitations and a porous Cardinals defense, then use the bye week to heal up as many defensive backs as possible.
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that → put → backs
The Aporia
