Terrion Arnold got off on the wrong foot in his return to action, and ended on the right one.
On the Lions' first defensive play in their loss to the Vikings last week, Arnold over-pursued a handoff to Aaron Jones, looped into the backfield and whiffed on an arm tackle, which sprung Jones for 11 yards. Arnold turned around two plays later and shut down a sideline shot to the end zone in a one-on-one matchup with Jordan Addison.
On the first defensive play of the ensuing drive, Arnold was late to fill his lane in run support, allowing Jones to gain 14 more yards. He turned around a few plays after that and locked up Jalen Nailor on a slant, stride for stride with the speedy receiver across the middle.
And late in the fourth quarter, with the Vikings up seven and trying to put away the game, Arnold was stiff-armed to the turf at the line of scrimmage by Jordan Mason who rumbled down the sideline for 14 yards to the Lions' goal line. Arnold turned around, again, two plays later and broke up a pass to the end zone to Justin Jefferson, eventually forcing the Vikings into a field goal.
Welcome to life as an NFL cornerback, especially in Detroit. One of Arnold's best games in coverage of his young career was also maybe his worst in run support.
When Dan Campbell was asked this week on 97.1 The Ticket about the Lions' struggles against the run in their 27-24 loss, he lamented a few players failing to fill gaps, then said, "and really, three of the runs was really one guy. So we’ll get that cleaned up. It’ll be addressed, it’s been addressed, it’ll be addressed again. You can’t be a liability when it comes to the run game. That’s what we cannot allow."
Campbell didn't name any names. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard took care of that Thursday when he praised Arnold for his growth in coverage this season -- "It's been outstanding," he said -- before adding, "but the part of TA’s game that I need to see improve is the run game and run support. It’s unacceptable right now, and he knows that."
"To me, it’s a technique issue, because he’s there at the point of attack," said Sheppard. "I know Terrion wants to do it, it’s not a (lack of) will or anything like that. It’s just understanding you’ve got to run your feet in this league, you have to bring your feet. That’s everybody."
Indeed, Sheppard referenced Alex Anzalone, "one of our best players at the point of attack," who took a bad angle pursuing J.J. McCarthy on third down in the third quarter and watched McCarthy dance past him into the end zone to give the Vikings a two-score lead. But Sheppard swears by a philosophy he learned from his predecessor and one of his mentors Aaron Glenn, that "if you really want to preach you’re a tough defense, you’re a physical outfit, show me your corners when they’re called upon in run support," he said.
Arnold embraces it. He's typically been a fearless defender against the run, which is one of the reasons the Lions loved him coming out of Alabama. The tape just didn't reflect it in his first game in almost a month after injuring his shoulder in the Lions' Week 5 win over the Bengals. Arnold said he should've been better in "squeezing the gap" at the line of scrimmage. He dismissed the idea that it had anything to do with his shoulder, which was originally feared to be a season-ending injury.
"(The coaches) know that I’m good against the run. So when I put up film like that, they just know I gotta be better, and I hold myself accountable. I know Shep's pushing me, going out there and saying to the media, 'He needs to be better,' he knows I can take coaching like that," Arnold said. "Just have to improve and continue to be there for my teammates."
In coverage, it looks like Arnold is starting to turn a corner. That was on full display against the Vikings when he surrendered just two catches on five targets, per PFF, and snagged the first pick of his career. He was similarly sticky against the Bengals -- three catches on six targets -- in matchups with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. This counts as stacking games, even if they came about a month apart.
Arnold has been cleaner at the top of routes and a little calmer when the ball's in the air, which is allowing his athleticism to shine. Confidence has never been an issue for the former first-round pick. Now he's reaching a balance of "playing the football, playing sticky coverage and challenging," said Campbell, which suggests this uptick is sustainable. He has five passes defended in his last two games.
"Just the beginning," said Arnold. "When I go out there, I just think about doing my job and then making plays within the scheme. Don’t chase plays, don’t try to do somebody else’s job. Go out there and focus on what you have to do, trust your teammates, and the plays happen."
On the pass break-up against Addison in the first quarter, Arnold was tight to the receiver's hip the whole way, squeezed him toward the boundary and left him little room to make a play. A year ago, Arnold admits, he might have been a little too handsy at the catch point and probably would have been flagged for pass interference.
The Lions said they drafted a man-to-man corner when they traded up for Arnold in the first round. He's allowed a passer rating in man coverage this season of 68.1.
"Just really showing off my ball skills now, not panicking when the ball’s in the air," he said. "And then just going out there and being the person that I’m supposed to be. That’s how I look at. ... Rome wasn’t built overnight. It’s the same with playing corner. Once I get it, I get it. So it’s just one of those things where I really look forward to trusting the process. Like each and every game, see something new, and every time I go out to practice try to improve on one little thing."
The only catch of any consequence that Arnold allowed against the Vikings was a 17-yard out to Addison in the third quarter where Arnold was playing more conservatively near the end zone with no help over the top. Otherwise, he was in a groove for most of the game. He only wishes he had picked off the goal-line pass to Jefferson by jumping the route a half-second sooner.
"That was a play that I have to make," he said.
The growth we're seeing in a young player is real. Even within last week's game, Arnold got the message about run support and wrapped up Mason at the line of scrimmage on the Vikings' final drive and came up pounding his chest, with Detroit's defense desperately trying to get the ball back to the offense.
The Vikings converted the ensuing third down to seal the game, but "if you want to be on the field," said Sheppard, "you have to be good in that area. We don’t believe in (just) cover guys."
"Our identity as a defense is a tough, physical, violent mentality, and that has to show up in all aspects of the game," he said.
If Arnold's being honest, his goose egg in the interceptions column was starting to gnaw at him. He thought he had one on a tipped pass against the Bears in Week 2, only for it to be wiped out by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Brian Branch. He thought he had another on a wounded deep ball in Week 5 against Bengals, only for Kerby Jospeh to swoop in and steal it.
Arnold finally got on the board last week by wrestling a ball away from Nailor on a pass over the middle, albeit on what Tom Brady called a "D throw" from J.J. McCarthy on the TV broadcast. Arnold was a step behind in coverage and could have surrendered a big gain had McCarthy hit Nailor in stride, but give him credit for finishing on the play and taking full advantage. They don't ask how.
When the officials discussed the play and eventually announced it as an interception, Arnold stood up from the bench on Detroit's sideline and yelled to the crowd, "I'm back! I'm back!!"
"Just being out, man, it’s one of those things, getting told that you’re out for the season, and then just me being able to come back and be with my coaches, it’s one of those things like, 'I’m back,'" he said with a smile.
Or maybe he's just arrived.