To put it simply, Aidan Hutchinson needs help. Josh Paschal can provide it. The Lions won't survive without another consistent edge rusher, and their defensive coordinator knows it.
"That’s the focal point, to be honest with you," Aaron Glenn said Thursday. "Everybody knows what Hutch can do. It’s just getting all of our other guys ... to be able to create some pressure like that."
"They know what I can do," said Paschal.
Too often this season, opposing teams have neutralized Detroit's pass rush by neutralizing Hutchinson. When Hutchinson is doubled-teamed and Alim McNeill is contained on the interior, their teammates aren't winning their one-on-one matchups. Glenn pointed directly at Paschal on Thursday and said, "We need that player to be able to do that."
"Because besides Hutch, Mac, I mean, Paschal has to be that guy," said Glenn. "Because he has that ability."
Paschal has flashed it in spurts in the NFL, as he did last week against the Packers. He was one of Detroit's only disruptive players on defense with two quarterback pressures and two run stops as part of his best performance of the season, per Pro Football Focus. He was equally effective in the Lions' Week 1 win over the Chiefs before a knee injury cost him five games. He's starting to round back into form, at the right time for his team.
"The thing now is, man, he has to take it to another level. I mean, we drafted this player in the second round and he’s had glimpses of what you saw that last game," said Glenn. "Now we have to unlock the pass rush part of it to be able to transition from run to pass. And he's busting his butt to be able to do that."
With several pass-rushers on the move at the deadline, Brad Holmes and the Lions stood pat. They bet instead on improvement within, a gamble that could define this season. They have two sacks in three games since, while allowing a passer rating of 116.1. Paschal, who has zero sacks on the year, knows he has to pick up his play opposite Hutchinson, and in turn reduce Hutchinson's burden.
"I feel like that’s why they brought me here," Paschal said. "They didn't bring me here for no reason, of course, and I know that. I know personally that I can and I will be that player. Now it’s just about going out there and doing it."
Sunday in New Orleans will mark Paschal's 17th career game, or the end, in essence, of his first NFL season. He also lost seven games last season to a sports hernia he suffered in college and a subsequent knee injury in Detroit. As he banks more reps in practices and games, Paschal said he's "able to turn my mind off when I’m on that field and just fly."
"I was talking to John Cominsky about it, how when you get to the league there’s a moment where you feel like you’re becoming your own player. And it seems like that’s happening to me now," said Paschal. "So I’m excited to see how these next couple games go, because I know that I’ll be able to do some special things."
It's hard to overstate what Paschal's emergence would mean to the Lions' defense. While Hutchinson has ranked among the NFL leaders all season in quarterback pressures and hits -- he's fourth in both categories, tied in the latter with Aaron Donald -- the entire team has struggled to generate sacks. Aside from three explosions against the Falcons, Packers and Raiders, the Lions have five sacks in eight games. That's a problem for a team that has ambitions of a playoff run.
"I feel like I’ve always played the run well," said Paschal. "Now it’s time to take that next step and become the all-around pass-rushing player that I know I can be."
It speaks to the Lions' belief in Paschal that they're counting so heavily on a player with two sacks in 16 games. It also speaks to their lack of playmakers up front, but we digress. The Lions are 8-3, with bigger goals than winning the NFC North. The defensive emphasis down the stretch is creating more takeaways; the best way to do that is creating more heat on the quarterback.
The player Glenn's pointing at is also pointing at himself.
"That’s a privilege," said Paschal. "(For him) to say, 'We are looking for you to make these plays,' I feel like that’s an honor. I have to go out and do that now, because I owe the Detroit Lions that and I owe my brothers that."
"Pressure is a good thing," Paschal said. Indeed, it's exactly what the Lions are looking for.