Lions' Defense Rebounds after Poor Practice, Stops Colts in Red Zone

Malcolm Rodriguez is shining again for the Detroit Lions.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell felt his team was not totally outmatched against the Indianapolis Colts. 

Despite the physical nature and stature of the Colts' 2022 roster, Detroit's offense was able to hold its own against a talented Colts defense. 

While the defense had a poor performance, things reportedly turned around on Thursday. 

According to multiple Lions and Colts reporters covering the joint practice, Detroit's defense answered the bell, and stepped up its performance on Thursday. 

It is the mark of a young football team that some days will be better than others. 

The coaching staff must continue to find avenues of building the confidence of the roster, in order for the team to perform. 

Cornerback Jeff Okudah, who was featured in several videos Wednesday getting torched, recorded a pass breakup during one-on-one drills, and matched up well against wideout Michael Pittman during team drills. He also showcased tight coverage in red-zone drills. 

Meanwhile, linebacker Malcom Rodriguez continues to shine at training camp, as he had a massive red-zone stop against running back Jonathan Taylor for a loss at the goal line. 

Campbell noted he has seen consistent, steady progress from the young rookie. 

"Oh, I’m sure he doesn’t care," quarterback Jared Goff said about Rodriguez being featured on the latest episode of "Hard Knocks". "He does a good job, working hard, being a good player, doing his job as a rookie. He’s flashed. He’s flashed us on offense. We’ve seen him, he’s done a great job and I know they like him on defense.”

No touchdowns allowed in red zone, followed by no touchdowns allowed during 2-minute drills. Monster response from a defense that struggled yesterday.

Speaking of monster … Austin Bryant had 3(!) sacks, was drawing doubles by day’s end. He’s making this team guys.

— kyle meinke (@kmeinke) August 18, 2022

Lions defense challenged to step up on Thursday. So far, team has answered the bell. Making more plays https://t.co/6Qjap1NYrf

— DetroitSportsPodcast (@DetroitPodcast) August 18, 2022