Dan Campbell, Lions players defend DC Kelvin Sheppard after another poor defensive showing: ‘It’s not a coaching thing’

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The first four games of the season haven't been a very good sign for the Lions' defense.

After allowing 32 points to the Panthers in a Week 4 loss, Detroit has now allowed its opponent to score at least 30 points in three of its matchups, holding onto a 2-2 record thanks to shootout wins over the Saints and Jets.

With second-year defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard facing some criticism, however, Dan Campbell and Lions played backed him following the loss to Carolina.

Here's what Campbell and more had to say about Sheppard's role in the defensive struggles.

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Dan Campbell, Lions players defend DC Kelvin Sheppard

In Sunday night's matchup, the Lions allowed 445 yards of offense to Carolina, including two fourth-down conversions, 127 rushing yards and 192 receiving yards to Tetairoa McMillan alone.

Sheppard, who took over the defensive coordinator role in 2025 following Aaron Glenn's departure for the Jets, will not be fired any time soon, however, based on Campbell's comments about "exhausting everything" before a drastic move like that is made.

"I'm not talking about all that," Campbell said of Sheppard, per ESPN. "I'm talking about getting better right now with what we've got. And that's what we're going to do. We're going to find a way to get better with what we've got."

According to ESPN, the last time the Lions allowed 30-plus points in three of their first four games was their winless 2008 season. Their 31.8 points allowed per game is the highest in the NFL.

"Let's look at it and let's get it fixed," Campbell said. "But I know this: We go into panic mode when we've got 13 games left and we're 2-2, that's not the right thing to do. I just don't believe that. I never have. So, I know there's frustration and look, I'm frustrated. I know the players are frustrated."

Detroit's secondary has been a particular concern, allowing an NFL-high 304 passing yards per game to opponents.

"It's not a coaching thing, it's a players thing. This game comes down to winning one-on-ones, and that's what we've got to do as a whole collective unit in the secondary. We haven't been doing that," cornerback D.J. Reed said, per ESPN. "So, we've just got to be better."

For now, the Lions' high-powered offense has been enough to help mask the issues. But should the trends continue, it wouldn't be surprising to see chatter about Sheppard's job security increase.

"It starts with the players because we're out there and we make the scheme come alive. So, honestly, you can just put it on me, put it on the players," linebacker Jack Campbell said, per ESPN. "But, I mean, Shep works hard. Dan believes in him, I believe in him. He's made of the right stuff. We're going to get this figured out.

"We've just got to stay the course, stick together. Right now, it's us versus everybody and I'll state the obvious, we're not playing very good defensively and we've got to fix it.

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