In his Lions debut, Bruce Irvin gave the defense what it needed. The veteran pass rusher had a sack and another quarterback pressure on a massive hit that both afforded the Saints 15 yards and cost them their best chance at a comeback in Detroit's 33-28 win at the Superdome.
"He was around the quarterback," said teammate Romeo Okwara, who got his first sack of the season himself. "You saw the crazy hit he had toward the end there. It was great to see him get out there and get one."
Irvin, 36, played just 11 snaps in his first NFL action since last season with the Seahawks. But he turned 10 pass-rushing opportunities into two quarterback pressures, which is exactly why the Lions signed him last month. Their edge rushers opposite Aidan Hutchinson have struggled to get after the passer all season.
Irvin's sack came on a third down in the first quarter and forced a three-and-out. His biggest play came in the fourth quarter when he barreled through the Saints offensive line and planted Derek Carr into the turf. Irvin was flagged for roughing the passer after landing on top of Carr, who was knocked out of the game with shoulder and back injuries and a possible concussion. The Saints brought in Jameis Winston, who missed on each of his final three throws and turned it over on downs when New Orleans had a chance to take the lead.
Irvin has made a career out of harassing quarterbacks. A first-round pick back in 2012, he has 56.5 sacks -- and 342 pressures -- to his name. He helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl in the 2013 season, but was overshadowed on Seattle's Legion of Boom defenses that featured stars like Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas III and Kam Chancellor in the secondary. Even when Irvin went to the Raiders and put up 15 sacks and an NFL-leading 10 forced fumbles from 2016-17, he never made a Pro Bowl.
He spent the last five seasons bouncing from the Falcons to the Panthers to the Seahawks to the Bears and ultimately back to the Seahawks. Now he's in Detroit, searching for the recognition that's eluded him in the NFL.
"I came in this league with a chip on my shoulder and I always felt like, with my 12 years, I never got the respect that I was due,” Irvin told reporters after Sunday's win. "So to me, I just have to keep proving it, keep proving it. Every opportunity I get, I’m going to keep proving them wrong, but proving myself right. It’s just something in me, man. It’s just (keeping) that edge; it made me work harder and continue to push forward."
Irvin was on the edge Sunday, which is what stood out to Dan Campbell from the sidelines.
"He was able to pressure the quarterback. He was able to get an edge a couple of times, and certainly there’s something there," Campbell said. "He’s got something. He’s been working and he’s gotten in better shape over the last three weeks, so I’m anxious to watch the (film). It’s encouraging, I know that."
The Lions are 9-3, and still desperate for a better pass rush. On a first-place team bound for the playoffs, Irvin has a chance to make an outsize impact as a midseason addition. If he keeps wrangling quarterbacks, he might chase down some long-overdue respect.