The season starts now for the Detroit Lions.
All-Pro safety Brian Branch is set to return from an Achilles injury for Detroit’s first matchup in the NFC North, host to Green Bay following a bye week. Having done little to reinforce the safety group in the offseason, the Lions basically waited for Branch to heal.
They hoped Kerby Joseph would return from his knee injury at about the same time, after four games or so. The status for Joseph remains uncertain, and it becomes continuously more worrisome he won’t ever return to form.
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Detroit knew it couldn’t pay four safeties, so it was forced to be patient. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard tried to help the defense bail water. In the meantime, the secondary was ravaged over the first five games, although the Lions managed to win three of them.
The Lions allow 297.4 yards passing per game, which is worst in the NFL, and 29.6 points, which is fourth worst. Opponents tossed 14 touchdowns and only three interceptions, one from a linebacker.
The return of Branch should stabilize the entire defense. The rest of the players will feel less vulnerable with Branch in the mix in the middle. The linebackers will be glad to have Branch around. Aidan Hutchinson and the defensive line have been a strength as the defense leads the league in sacks, with 20. Confidence is important, even in the NFL. Branch will make the unit feel more complete.
The Lions hope that means it will play better.
The Lions' offense has been among the best so far this season, tied with Buffalo at 32.8 points per game. Jared Goff has 1,485 yards passing and 12 touchdowns, without an interception. Jahmyr Gibbs has 504 yards and seven scores on the ground. He’s more involved as a receiver with 27 receptions, and he broke Barry Sanders’ record for touchdowns before the age of 25, with 58. That’s an NFL record, not just a Lions mark.
Detroit’s primary move in free agency was to sign center Cade Mays, who broke his wrist in training camp. With his return also expected against the Packers, the Lions hope to truly look the way they’d hoped to this season.
It wasn’t Detroit’s fault its safeties succumbed to injury. It is the Lions’ fault that there’s a huge Terrion Arnold-sized hole in the defense. Apparently, coach Dan Campbell believed Arnold on his word that the kidnapping accusations against him were unfounded.
Instead, charges were brought, and Detroit released Arnold. Rock Ya-Sin was promoted to a starter, promptly benched for a game and battled his own injury. The Lions are embarrassingly thin at cornerback for an NFL team, and this time, nobody will be walking through the door.
Detroit knew it would be without Branch and Joseph. It stuck with Arnold and unnecessarily created another chasm. It was a glaring self-inflicted misstep for the organization. You need cornerbacks in the NFL. It’s not out of the question for the Lions to rectify the error at the trade deadline.
With Branch and Mays, the Lions are close to full strength. Will they be the team they thought they'd be?
mhorn@gannett.com
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This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Detroit hopes return of Brian Branch helps entire team grow