Making his first start at left tackle in two years, Penei Sewell put in a typically strong performance in the Lions' Week 2 loss to the Seahawks. But if you know anything about Sewell, you know it wasn't strong enough.
"It goes to the attention to detail," Sewell said Monday. "I didn't do a good job and I feel like it starts with the example, so gotta be better there, clean it up. It was very dirty across the board. … A lot of technical things I didn’t get done and also blocks I should have made."
Prior to Sewell's media session, Dan Campbell had told reporters, "We need our most reliable players to be reliable. That was a big thing that came out of that game."
"I just expect more," he said. "I expect more reliability out of those guys. They know who they are, and we just hold them to high standards.”
Campbell had been asked about and was referring to the defense, but Sewell immediately put his hand up.
"That’s me right there," he said. "I gotta be way better than I was, I gotta do better. Simple as that. It was tough to not perform to the level know I can, so now I know it’s a challenge and I love it. I can’t wait for Sunday to get here."
Spoken like the co-captain he is. Sewell, by any measure, was one of the Lions' better players last week. Even as he flipped from the right side of the line to the left in place of the injured Taylor Decker, he did his part for an offense that put up over 400 yards. Sewell allowed just two pressures on 37 pass-blocking snaps and was equally strong in the run game, according to Pro Football Focus.
Again: he'll tell you that he should have been stronger. Asked about switching from right tackle to left tackle, Sewell said, "It's not an excuse."
"Coach depends on me, this team depends on me, so there’s no difference," he said. "But when it comes to those attention to details, I'm like a yard away from making that important block. Just gotta get off the ball faster or stay on the block with (left guard) Jonah (Jackson) more or just communication like that."
Sewell will likely be back at left tackle in Week 3 against the Falcons with Decker (ankle) still on the mend. He said there's "a lot of things I need to work on, a lot, including my hands, my feet, pre-snap reads." No one on the Lions' roster holds himself to a higher standard than Sewell, who reminded everyone Monday, "No matter what position, I want to be the best player."
"My mindset is, I'm better than anybody on that field," he said.
The standard is similarly high this season for the Lions, favorites in the NFC North who let one get away at home in Week 2. It didn't sit well with anyone in the locker room. After a statement win in Week 1, it was a reminder that the only statement that matters is your last.
"Definitely humbles you, and I hope the guys come in with that same mindset of where we were a year ago," Sewell said. "It’s just different now. There’s too many people riding the wave, too many people talking. For myself, that never bothers me. No offense, I really don’t give a damn what y’all say. I just think the team's gotta humble back and go back to the drawing board."
No one better to lead the way than Sewell.