Watch: Former Illini DB Kerby Joseph Grabs Another Pick
Up 21-14 early in the second quarter of Sunday's matchup with the Tennessee Titans, the Detroit Lions appeared headed for a shootout.
Tennessee quarterback Mason Rudolph had gotten off to a hot start, having already found the end zone twice – once on the ground and once through the air.
In search of a chunk play on Tennessee’s first snap of the drive, Rudolph took a shot 20 yards downfield to his receiver running a crossing pattern.
Positioned over the top, Lions safety Kerby Joseph – a former Illinois defensive back – was there to pick it off and return it to the Titans' 12, setting up his offense to start with the ball deep in the red zone.
A few plays later, Lions quarterback Jared Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown on a 1-yard pass for a score, extending Detroit's lead to 28-14.
Joseph and the Lions defense held the Titans scoreless for the remainder of the game, helping propel Detroit to a 52-14 victory.
He finished with six tackles and two passes defended to go along with his fifth interception of the season – good for the second-highest individual total in the NFL in 2024 (behind only Green Bay’s Xavier McKinney).
Sitting atop the loaded NFC North with a 6-1 record, the Lions head to Green Bay next weekend for a divisional showdown with McKinney and the 6-2 Packers.