Detroit — Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn interviewed for multiple head coaching vacancies this offseason and it was generally regarded as only a matter of time before he landed one of those positions.
But if the luster of his candidacy was already fading heading into Sunday, the remaining shine is gone after the Lions couldn’t muster a single defensive stop against a Seattle Seahawks team that entered the contest averaging a paltry 15.7 points per game.
After giving up 48 points to the Seahawks, and at least 27 points each of the first four games, Detroit’s defensive ineptitude has left coach Dan Campbell bewildered. Still, he continues to offer unwavering support of Glenn, who followed Campbell from New Orleans to join Detroit’s coaching staff last year.
“Man, I’ve got a lot of faith in Aaron Glenn,” Campbell said after Sunday’s 48-45 loss. “I’ve got a ton of faith in those (defensive) assistants. I think we sit down and I think we look at everything together. Because really, I think more than anything, maybe it’s time for a deep dive, a real deep dive into it — players, everything that we’re doing. But I also trust what (Glenn is) doing. And there’s a reason why I hired him so I want to let him do his job.”
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Campbell did a similar deep dive of the team’s offense last season, something that led to him demoting former offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn and taking over the play-calling duties. But given Campbell’s offensive background, don’t expect a similar course of action this time around.
But clearly something needs to change, even if that doesn’t involve shuffling the deck with the coaching staff. Nearly a quarter of the way through the season and the defense continues to make the same mistakes, conceding big runs outside the tackles and having communication breakdowns in the secondary.
“Yeah, listen, it’s frustrating,” Campbell said. “It’s frustrating and I have nobody to blame but myself. That’s on me to handle that, and can’t keep saying that, can’t keep writing that. There again, I’ll look at everything.”
About the only thing Campbell could definitively say about Detroit’s most recent defensive letdown, at least without reviewing the game film, was the unit is displaying a clear lack of confidence.
“I just don’t feel our swagger,” Campbell said.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers