The Detroit Lions’ problems at defensive end are growing.
Already down their top two pass rushers to potential season-ending injuries, the Lions will be without third-year defensive end Josh Paschal for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans because of an undisclosed illness.
Paschal, who missed his third straight day of practice Friday, played last week as the Lions’ No. 1 end after injuries to Aidan Hutchinson (broken leg) and Marcus Davenport (torn triceps). Davenport is out for the season, while Hutchinson won’t return until the Super Bowl at the earliest.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) drops to pass with pressure from Detroit Lions defensive end Josh Paschal (93) first quarter at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.
Paschal declined to elaborate on his health problems Friday, but said they are physical not mental and he expects to return for next week’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
“It’s definitely tough just because you’ve been playing so well and you want to keep the momentum going but at the same time life’s going to throw you some curveballs and man, I’m just thankful that I got my faith to rely on but I also am able to just keep going,” Paschal said. “You’re going to get trials and tribulations but at the end of the day it’s how you respond. and so I just want to stay steadfast, keep my head down and keep working.”
Lions coach Dan Campbell said the defense will lean heavily on three pass rushers — James Houston, Isaiah Thomas and Al-Quadin Muhammad — who’ve played a combined 26 defensive snaps and have zero tackles this season in Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans (1-5).
Houston has played sparingly in three games with the Lions this season. He had eight sacks in seven games as a rookie, but broke his leg last year and was not in the playing rotation at the start of the season.
The Lions signed Thomas off the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad last week, then made him inactive for their Week 7 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
And Muhammad has not appeared in a game since signing with the Lions’ practice squad earlier this month. He had a career-high six sacks with the Indianapolis Colts in 2021 and played for the New Orleans Saints in 2017 when Campbell and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn were assistants.
“You don’t have to worry about that guy playing the game with some nastiness and aggressiveness, strength,” Campbell said. “He’s going to set an edge and he’s going to play hard. He’s competitive. He’s a finisher. And he’s got a little bit of rush ability. He’s more of a kind of push-the-pocket power and then plays off of that, but it’s more about him coming in to do some of the dirty work and just bring your hard hat, bring your lunch pail-type guy. And he’s going to give us a good day’s work is really what we’re anticipating, really all we need out of him.”
A second-round pick out of Kentucky in 2022, Paschal has missed time with a variety of injuries in his career. He said he expects to play a similar role to the one he had last week against the Vikings once he returns.
“Before I was more like a run stopper and all of that,” he said. “Of course I still want to be that but I have to be able to affect the passer more frequently – even more frequently than the Vikings of course. I got to be able to get after the quarterback so that’s going to be my main priority.”
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