CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Dan Campbell said his defense is playing like they smell “blood in the water.”
The Detroit Lions coach made those comments after his team forced another three takeaways in their 37-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Detroit’s defense has created nine takeaways during its four-game winning streak, with six of those coming in the last two outings. Dan Campbell said it feels like there is “blood in the water” and they are hunting for those plays.
Campbell even said this is the first time since he’s been coaching in Detroit that they have come this early and often so early in the season.
“When you really start getting good at them, you start hunting for them,” the Lions coach said. “Our guys hunt for them. They become contagious. And this is the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve really getting those in bunches early in the year. Normally, it comes a little later. So, I feel like there’s blood in the water. Our guys are starting to feel it. They want to be the next guy who gets the punch out or the strip or the interception. We’re hunting with the balls in the air. We’re going after it.
“That’s a tenacious defense. That’s what they do and that’s what we’re about right now.”
And while some takeaways can be luck, in the right place at the right time, this is something the Lions take very seriously. They open every practice with takeaway drills, spending as much time on flipping the field as they do working to protect the ball.
This surge of takeaways has come in a number of ways, with forced fumbles, strip sacks and a handful of interceptions by a number of players.
“We don’t want it to be lip service,” Campbell said. “There’s a conscious effort to work at it. And then we showcase these things. We show the team. They know it’s important to us. We show it in the defensive meetings, as well. I think there’s a pride about it. I do think we have football guys. I think we have ball guys.
“When you make a conscious effort to go after them or the balls in the air, and you say, ‘I’m going, that’s my ball. I’m going to go get it,’ then good things happen. They start coming out. So, we’re in a good place right now, and we’re getting them, and we’ll take them. We just got to keep working on it.”
On Sunday, it was cornerback Amik Robertson, linebacker Alex Anzalone and safety Kerby Joseph. Robertson got caught looking for one in the fourth quarter, when he bit on a route by Ja’Marr Chase that ended up in a 64-yard fourth-quarter touchdown to pull the Bengals within 11 points.
The veteran cornerback, who remains one of the most quotable players in the locker room, said his goal was to have two interceptions on Sunday. Robertson played a key role, helping fill the cornerback depth concerns by again playing outside and in the slot for the team’s feisty defense.
“I told myself my goal, that I wanted two (interceptions) because I knew I was going to have targets,” Robertson said. “He (Chase) sat at the sticks. I was trying to jump it. That’s all me, man. Just being greedy. Bad eyes. But it’s something I can fix, man, you know, as far as, you know, because when I’m on it, man, when I’m playing with good eyes, whatever, I’m one of the most stickiest guys in the league.
“Me personally, I feel like (expletive) ... This (expletive) is all about finishing ... We took a step back toward the end of the game, and that (expletive) started with me.”
They almost had two more in Cincinnati, though, with linebacker Jack Campbell forcing a fumble, and star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson forcing one for the third straight game. The Bengals ultimately recovered both of those, but it just shows how close the Lions are to notching even more big swings.
And while safeties aren’t considered a takeaway, linebacker Derrick Barnes sealed the victory for good with a sack in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
“It feels like the last two weeks they’ve given us short fields,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “We capitalized on all but one tonight. We want to capitalize on all -- it’s a big emphasis for us to score off turnovers, especially at the (pace) our defense is getting them. It’s a little area we can be better at, but they’re doing a heck of a job.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our [User Agreement](https://www.advancelocal.com/advancelocalUserAgreement/user-agreement.html) and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our [Privacy Policy.](https://www.advancelocal.com/advancelocalUserAgreement/privacy-policy.html)