Aaron Glenn: 'We Just Keep on Pushing'

Aaron Glenn addressed potential of adding new player to roster.

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn speaks to the media / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions' defense is likely to add a new player over the course of the next week.

Trade deadline speculation has ramped up, as Clevaland Browns defensive lineman Za'Darius Smith is a leading candidate to be dealt to assist in upgrading Aaron Glenn's defense.

With a stretch of games that features a matchup against the Houston Texans, followed by winnable games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts, having a player that can come in and contribute at a high level quickly will service to keep the goal of being the No. 1 seed in the NFC attainable.

Glenn indicated that new players could see the field each week in the NFL, as injuries are often sudden and require a team to adapt quickly.

“You’ve seen that with what we have right now, with Isaiah (Thomas) and (Al-Quadin) Muhammad," Glenn said. "A lot of those guys play the first week that they’re in, especially if we can find packages to put those guys in. I’m gonna look at it from the aspect of, 'Man, this is the NFL.' Each week, you might play a new player and during the game you might play a new player. For example, Rodrigo went down. Ben Niemann, JRM, all those guys had to step up and that’s just what it is. The biggest equalizer in this game is injuries, and we don’t make no excuses for them. We just keep on pushing like we’ve always done, and we’re gonna continue to do that.” 

Appearing on the "Jim Rome Show" this week, linebacker Alex Anzalone discussed the injury to Aidan Hutchinson and reiterated the "next man up" mentality teams must have.

“Yeah it was tough. Like that, it was definitely a gruesome injury. You could tell he was in a lot of pain and disappointment on the field when it happened," Anzalone said. "He’s our best defensive player, and our defensive captain too. So I think that it was a big loss, but guys have been stepping up these past few weeks. Really just have to continue going forward and that’s the nature of the beast in the NFL. The next guy up has to go in and do their job. We’re missing him, but at the same time we’ve just got to keep going.” 

More: Is DL Chase Young Answer for Detroit Lions' Defense?

.@AlexAnzalone34 on the Aidan Hutchinson's gruesome leg injury and how the Detroit defense is managing without him. pic.twitter.com/rJq3bQjU4k

— Jim Rome (@jimrome) October 30, 2024

Lions defense giving up more rushing yards

Since Hutchinson's injury, the team has given up more rushing yards. Opposing offenses have found avenues to gain extra yards by rushing toward the edges, as Detroit is incorporating new defensive linemen to find avenues of maintaining pressure on quarterbacks while being stout against the run.

In the two games since Hutchinson went down, the Lions have surrendered more than 130 yards rushing in each game. Minnesota rushed for 139 yards in Week 7, while Tennessee produced 158 yards on the ground in Week 8. Those two totals are the most the defense has allowed all season.

Detroit's coaching staff indicated practice this week would be utilized to emphasize and reiterate the importance of stopping the run.

Thursday's practice ahead of the Packers game will be padded, according to Dan Campbell.

"It’s something that we take note of," said Campbell. "And we know that we’re going to put in a good day’s work there in the middle with our guys and we have to be able to attack the perimeter, set edges, and let our backers flow and make plays."