'He's Found a Home': Isaiah Buggs Is Becoming a Force

The Steelers and Raiders did not know what they had in Isaiah Buggs.

Detroit Lions defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs was a force along the interior of the defense against the Minnesota Vikings. 

Buggs, along with Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, John Cominsky and James Houston, have emerged as dominant forces who can execute at a very high level. A once dormant pass rush has now come alive, wrecking the plans of opposing offensive linemen the past few weeks. 

“Well, I’ll tell you what, that guy’s a guy that we’ve been talking about for a while," Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn told reporters. "He doesn’t probably get all the praise that he should, but for him to be able to make that play on that stage, at that time in the red zone, was outstanding for him. So, we know how valuable that player is for us. 

"He’s found a home. We’re happy with him, and I know for a fact that he’s happy being here. So, we just want to continue to get better with that player and continue to understand exactly what we’re doing," Glenn continued. "And there’s just a lot more improvement that can happen with that player. So, I’m really excited about that player.”

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Buggs, a 26-year-old lineman, recorded five pressures, one sack, two hits and two hurries against the Vikings, in Detroit's fifth victory in its last six outings. 

He has now become a reliable threat when given the opportunity to rush the passer. He even forced the football loose, when he broke through and caused Vikings running back Dalvin Cook to lose the football. 

After being drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2019 draft, the talented defensive lineman was released in January of this year. 

He played in 29 games in three years with the Steelers, recording 31 tackles.

Following a short stint on the Raiders' practice squad, Buggs was signed by the Lions prior to training camp, when John Penisini announced his retirement. 

Isaiah Buggs doing some mollywhopping in the trenches yesterday vs MIN. Destroyed the rookie RG

...this dude has flash plays like this every game pic.twitter.com/mGXqiGtvxy

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) December 13, 2022