Aaron Glenn: Lions' Defense Will 'Bite Someone's Face Off'

Lions' defense is gritty and willing to play aggressive.

The Detroit Lions' roster is full of talented, hard-working players, on both sides of the football. 

Even though Aaron Glenn's defense is mostly unheralded, its style of football has produced turnovers, big hits and has kept opponents from scoring touchdowns during the second half of the season. 

“We’re talking about gritty, that’s who we are," said Glenn. "Listen, we know exactly who we are. Are we the fastest? Are we the most talented? No, but we’ll bite somebody’s face off, if you’re gonna play us.” 

Dan Campbell, when asked during his Thursday media session if the Lions have now officially become "America's team", indicated that is not a crown he can claim and only others can determine and express just how popular his team actually is. 

"I just think our environment, our culture, the coaches, the players," Campbell said. "I think we have a lot of people that respect football and try to stay true to it. Hard work, discipline, all the things that I think most people can resonate with. I think that's probably why we're somewhat attractive, and then we're winning, obviously. That helps everything." 

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James Houston "very close" to returning

Detroit's talented pass-rusher was placed on the active roster last week, but was surprisingly inactive against the Buccaneers. 

After missing the majority of the regular season and the team's first two playoff games, the second-year linebacker is "very close" to being activated against the 49ers. 

“I think he’s very close," Glenn expressed to reporters. "The thing we want to do, we want to protect that player from himself. And listen, I do not take injuries lightly. Especially, make sure you listen to the medical department to make sure we bring that player along exactly how he needs to come along. 

"He’s doing a really good job in practice. He’s getting back to where he was, and hopefully, we’ll get a chance to put that player on the field so he can make some plays for us.”