ALLEN PARK — Terrion Arnold appears to be in the dog house.
Asked how the second-year cornerback can better defend a pick play that put the Green Bay Packers up two scores on Sunday, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard cut right to it.
“By learning from previous mistakes,” Sheppard said.
After the Lions got on the board with a 16-play field-goal drive on Sunday, the Packers took a 17-3 lead on a two-play drive coming the other way, with both long receptions going against Arnold in coverage.
The first was a 48-yard deep shot to Packers receiver Romeo Doubs on a skinny post, right in the middle of the field. As Kerby Joseph crashed down to stop a crossing route, Packers quarterback Jordan Love wound up and fired to Doubs, who had inside leverage on Arnold. Lions cornerback D.J. Reed rotated up but couldn’t get there in time, as the Packers landed a haymaker with Detroit reeling.
Sheppard absolved Joseph of blame on Thursday, saying, “Kerby did exactly what he was supposed to do with the structure of the defense.”
On the very next play, Arnold got picked by Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks, resulting in a 17-yard touchdown by Packers receiver Jayden Reed. It was reminiscent of a play that Arnold was beaten on during Week 17 last season, when San Francisco 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall picked up 40 yards after beating Arnold with a legal pick.
Sheppard wasn’t shy about issuing a public reminder to his former first-round pick.
“You guys have been around here, we got the exact same play at San Francisco last year,” Sheppard said. “Turn it on to Pearsall, learn from your mistakes, you’re a professional.”
Arnold said after the game that he was actually hurt during those two plays with the groin injury that eventually forced his exit from the game. He did not play in the second half. Still, Sheppard didn’t want to hear about it.
“If you’re injured, come out of the game. We’re not making any excuses, no, no, no. We’re not making any excuses,” Sheppard said. “Just like if I have a play call that I shouldn’t have called, that’s on me. A player has a job to do, that’s on them. We all earn our paycheck. There won’t be any free rides this year. We all come to the stadium with a job to do. Do your job, point-blank period.”
Arnold was the 24th overall pick out of Alabama in April 2024. His rookie season was shaky, but he buckled down in the second half of the season and played solid football despite the personnel drastically changing around him on a week-to-week basis.
He was projected to be the breakout star of Detroit’s defense after having one of the best training camps (injuries aside) of any player on the team. In the opener, that caliber of play did not fully show itself. He was, however, the only Lions defender to have a pass breakup, and he helped defend another red-zone throw to Doubs on the Packers’ opening drive.
But as long as he’s still making mistakes that lead to touchdowns, he’s not going to be getting a free pass on this team.
Originally Published: September 13, 2025 at 9:43 AM EDT