As he battles a knee injury to get back on the field, Kerby Joseph is "working coach's hours," said Lions safeties coach Jim O'Neil. "He's here early in the morning getting treatment, he’s in the meeting rooms getting treatment, he’s doing everything."
Joseph spent the Lions' Week 8 bye "taking of care of himself and doing some things out on his own to try to get himself right," O'Neil said Wednesday.
It's been a trying season for Detroit's star safety. He's been hampered by two separate knee injuries, the first suffered in training camp, the second in the Lions' Week 4 win over the Browns when Joseph slammed his knee into the Ford Field turf. He's practiced one time since, re-aggravated the injury in the Lions' Week 6 loss to the Chiefs and missed their Week 7 win over the Bucs.
Joseph's status for Sunday's game against the Vikings is in doubt after he was held out of practice again Thursday. The decision as to whether he plays isn't his to make, he said, pointing upstairs instead.
Asked how the injury has limited him physically this year, Joseph said, "I mean, yeah, it’s physical, but it’s more mental for me. Obviously, if I’m out there, I’m going 100 percent, so I’m not gonna use my knee as an excuse, personally."
Take his effort in Kansas City. After limping off the field early in the second quarter and spending several minutes in Detroit's injury tent, Joseph emerged late in the quarter and instantly charged into run support to lay a lick on Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco. He knows no other speed.
"I'm not going to sit here and say my knee limited me," he said Thursday. "I was still making plays."
But Joseph hasn't made quite as many plays as we've come to expect. While he still has three interceptions in six games, he's made far fewer tackles than years past, about two fewer per game. Asked if his performance this season has been where he wants it to be, he shook his head "uh-uh." As to where he can be better, Joseph shrugged, "I don't know, I haven't really played. Just being more in tune to the game."
"When he goes, I haven’t seen a drop-off," said O'Neil, in his second season coaching the Lions' safeties. "I think he’s been the same Kerby that we’re all used to seeing. I’m sure there’s a few plays this year that he would like to have back, but that’s with everybody. It’s not a game of perfect."
The advanced stats indicate the injury has taken its toll. After ranking as the top safety in the NFL last season, per PFF, Joseph ranks No. 46 this season. His tackling grade has fallen from fifth among safeties, to second to last.
With fellow safety Brian Branch returning Sunday from his suspension, it might behoove the Lions to give Joseph another week of rest as they gear up for the second chunk of the season, which is probably where they're leaning.
Joseph and Branch were sitting side by side in the locker room Thursday when Joseph said, "We menaces to society. He’s missing the other menace. I’m gonna be back. He’s still out there causing damage, so it’s a good thing."
(Branch, overhearing Joseph while watching film, looked up and said, "Who you talking about?" Joseph grinned, "I'm talkin about you. I said you the ugliest on the team," then laughed so loudly you'd never guess he's hurt.)
The Lions will likely make an official decision Friday on Joseph's status for Sunday. If he misses a second straight game, he'll continue to be an asset for the defensive backs around him like safeties Thomas Harper and Erick Hallett, both of whom excelled in place of Joseph and Branch against the Bucs.
O'Neil raved about how Joseph has handled his injury "professionally and how he’s helped some of the young guys come in, too."
"When you get new guys, you coach them up, you have extra meetings, you teach them our system, and then when you have older experienced guys that can give it to them from a player’s perspective or help them in certain situations, he’s been outstanding with all that stuff," said O'Neil.