Notebook: Lions Working to Not Allow Aaron Donald to 'Wreck the Game'

Detroit's offense is looking to rebound, after a forgettable performance against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has certainly earned the praise that has been heaped upon him from his teammates, coaches and fans of the National Football League. 

“The guy is really, he’s transitioned my career just watching a guy like that,” Michael Brockers said earlier this week. “Have all the accolades he has and still work like he’s an undrafted free agent. He still has to work like he has no accolades, like he’s a nobody. He works so hard."

The natural inclination would be for the 30-year-old defensive lineman to be double teamed for the majority of the game this week, in order to prevent quarterback Jared Goff and the offense from having a repeat of their abysmal performance against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"There's going to come some times when we're going to be one-on-one with him and we got to get the job done. But, you want to put four hands on him, as much as possible," Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn explained. 

"He's just dynamic. He's strong. He's fast. He's quick. He's explosive. He can jump around and make moves," Lynn commented. "He does some of the things that are very unsound for a defensive lineman, but he can make plays doing it. So, he catches you off guard, with the element of surprise. He wants to be the best in the league."

Breakdown defensively in the second half of the Bengals game

After holding the Bengals' offense to only 10 points in the first half, Detroit's defense struggled to execute consistently in the second half. 

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn's unit gave up 24 points total in the final two quarters of the game, as Detroit went on to be defeated, 34-11, at Ford Field. 

"A lot of times when things are not going your way, and this is just human nature for any player -- heck, I did it when I was a player,  when you try to do too much. And, once you try to do too much, that's when breakdowns happen. When my guys here, but I'm trying to make that play over there," Glenn said. 

Glenn added, "Guys, they want to win so bad that sometimes, that instinct takes over to now where, 'I have to do more.' It sounds crazy, but you really don't have to do more, just do what you're supposed to do. When you do that, everything will be fine. And that's what we're continuing to preach. The players see it. And a lot of times they hit themselves in the head, like 'God, I just got to do my job.' That's what we focus on. And you hear that across the league. But, for us specifically, man, that's a major deal that we have to continue to work on."

Kirthmon F. Dozier, USA TODAY NETWORK

Is Dan Campbell's coaching philosophy conducive to winning in the NFL?

The Detroit Lions hold the dubious distinction of being the only winless team in the National Football League. 

In London, Urban Meyer earned his first career victory as a head coach, following the Jacksonville Jaguars' 23-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins. 

Naturally, questions have started to arise whether or not head coach Dan Campbell's coaching philosophy is the correct one to win consistently. 

“I think it has to be. I think it has to be. Look, there’s a certain way we need to play and we have to play," Campbell said earlier this week. "And, I know you guys get tired of hearing it, our margin for error is this, and I know that it’s hard to really say what we are and what we aren’t until we take away our own self-induced mistakes. I know this, we have to be able to run the football. We have to be able to stay in the game, to be able to play-action pass and do some of those things. Look, I’ll tell you, we’re not equipped to throw the ball 40 or 50 times a game and drop back. We’re not. That’s not us. I think there are very few teams that are equipped to do that, but I know we’re not, for sure. So, if we don’t keep ourselves in this game, it makes it hard for us. It makes it hard.”

How running backs coach Duce Staley feels about 0-6 record

Detroit's new running backs coach is also feeling the sting of the team not performing up to its capabilities. 

But, for Staley, taking on the challenge of trying to find solutions still motivates him to coach this collection of talent. 

"It's not good. I love to win," Staley said. "Point blank, period. Every day I wake up, every day I come into this building, I want to win. Make no mistake about me, and the players feel the same way. But, right now, of course, we're not winning, and it should hurt. We all should feel bad right now. We do. But, feeling bad doesn't fix it. Going on to the next one, gotta find the answers. That's where we are."