4 Priority Issues For Dan Campbell’s 2026 Bye Week

The Lions enter their bye week with a 3-2 record after delivering their best performance of the season in a dominant 45-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals . Describing it as “the most complete, complementary game we’ve played to date this year,” Dan Campbell acknowledged, “ The guys did a good job, responded…It was our best game this year.” However, he cautioned that the Lions’ victory over the 1-4 Cardinals was not to be confused with beating a tough divisional opponent. “But to think that it’s going to be good enough for Green Bay, it’s not. We still need to clean up more than – we need to clean up a lot more than that, and we can, and we will.” Now, the early bye provides an opportunity for Campbell to address lingering issues ahead of the Week 7 game against the Green Bay Packers. 4 Priority Issues For Dan Campbell’s 2026 Bye Week One of the priority issues that Campbell and the coaching staff wrestled with for weeks was figuring out the Lions’ 2026 identity. “Who is this team?” Campbell recently questioned, “What can we hang our hat on? What do we really feel like suits us well in all three phases?… But, at this point, now we need to figure out what we really are and what we do well.” Issue #1: Determine The Lions’ Identity On September 21st, Campbell astutely predicted it might take four or five games before the coaching staff can answer that question. “I hate saying it, we’re not gonna know until probably around the bye. Until we get a good four or five games, and you really start to figure out, this is what we can do and where we can really grow.” In years past, the Lions’ identity was built around the city’s resilient blue-collar mentality. This team had the grit to rise up from the depths to keep pushing beyond the restraints that previously held them back. However, does that image still hold today? Or has the Lions’ recent success created a sense of complacency that has left them stuck in neutral? Can Detroit regain the level of excellence from the glory days of 2024, or have the Lions plateaued? This is a team overflowing with elite talent. But to compete at the highest NFL level today, it takes more than individual superstar performances. It requires a total team effort. On Sunday against the Cardinals, the Detroit offense, defense, and special teams unit played the complementary football that Campbell has been seeking all year. Can the 2026 Lions sustain that level of superiority for the remainder of the season? Issue #2: Build on the Success of the Arizona Game Campbell also hopes to build on the success they achieved with the Arizona game. After finding the right personnel combinations and schematic elements that led to the success in Week 5, he is building on the elements that worked well and tweaking those that need improvement. When asked if the early bye week was a missed opportunity in terms of keeping the momentum going, Campbell acknowledged the initial temptation . “After you feel like you play your best game, there is part of you that’s like, boy, it’d be nice to keep going.” But he conceded, “I think this is a good thing. I think it’s good that it’s happening now.” We can kind of get some guys back, get rested up, and be ready to go after that…we’re going into the bye on a positive note, and we’ve got things to clean up. And I mentioned this last night, that’s a step in the right direction.” A Much Improved Defense It was also the best the Detroit defense has looked all season. Campbell praised Sunday’s much-improved defensive performance that produced 74 tackles (43 solo), 5.0 sacks, 6 TFLs, 9 PBUs, one interception, and 12 quarterback hits. “The defense, the way we handled it, we were playing tight coverage, and the rush was on the quarterback, bailed us out of a lot of things.” One of the critical differences was a return to form relying on man-to-man coverage versus the zone coverage that had caused too many missed assignments, miscommunications, and explosive plays. Overall, the secondary looked much better. Roger McCreary, in particular, was noticeably “sticky” in heavy man coverage opposite D.J. Reed. Together, the pair effectively contained the huge explosives that had been the Lions’ downfall in recent weeks. In another personnel change, one of the potential steals of the 2026 NFL Draft, Keith Abney Jr. , was elevated in place of veteran Christian Izien. Making his first NFL start, the rookie came up with the Lions’ only interception of the game and earned a respectable 59.9 PFF grade on 59 defensive snaps. Campbell was excited about Abney’s performance. “I thought he played a good game. First start, first NFL start at safety, never played safety. He’s banked some reps for us. We’ve been cross-training him. But, just man, there’s meat on the bone there, and he’s got room to grow, and we feel like he can continue to grow and get better.” Oct 11, 2026; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detroit Lions rookie cornerback Keith Abney II (6) celebrates his first NFL interception against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Special Teams Stepping Up Acknowledging that the coaching staff “did a good job in devising the game plan, and the players made it come to life.” Campbell thought Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp “made some really good calls.”  He declared, “Thought special teams, that’s the best we’ve played all season in all four units.” Campbell was undoubtedly referring to Jake Bates outstanding performance in converting 6/6 extra points plus a 46-yard field goal, and Tay Martin’s fumble recovery and downing a punt at the Cardinals two-yard line with mere seconds left in the game. Issue #3: Trust Your Coaching Staff Detroit Defensive Coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has taken plenty of heat over the defense’s poor performance in recent weeks. Campbell was asked a few weeks ago what gives him the confidence to believe that Sheppard can turn around the struggling defense. Staunchly supporting his DC, Campbell replied, “I believe he’s got a real good grasp of what offenses are trying to do. I think he’s got a good grasp of his own personnel. I think he’s doing a lot of the way we want to play here. And you know what? It didn’t work the other night, and we didn’t coach it up good enough. And then we’ll adjust a little bit. We’ll adjust, and we’ll get this thing back to where we need to get it.”  While Sunday’s game may not have been a complete vindication for Sheppard for many Detroit fans, it certainly was a huge step forward. Issue #4: Injuries and Personnel Updates One big advantage the early bye offers is a chance for players who are returning from injury to slowly ease back into the lineup.   Last week, center Cade Mays and Pro Bowl defensive back Brian Branch had their 21-day practice windows open. The expectation is that one or both players will be in the lineup on October 25th when the team plays Green Bay. Unfortunately, just as Mays and Branch are set to come back, the team lost veteran wide receiver Tom Kennedy for the season to a devastating knee injury. Kennedy’s biggest role was as a return specialist, and the search is on to find his replacement. While Amon-Ra St. Brown was pressed into emergency service after Kennedy went down in the Cardinals game, Campbell was firm, stating he didn’t want to see his All-Pro receiver be the full-time punt returner. Instead, he reported that “ we’ve got a couple of in-house candidates” and that Brad Holmes was “looking right now to see what’s out there, what’s available.”   In-house candidates include three practice members with return experience: Dominic Lovett, Lawrence Keys III, and Lucky Jackson.  Although Lovett, the Lions’ seventh-round 2025 Draft Pick, was specifically mentioned as a possible option by Campbell, he might not be the preferred choice given his propensity for dropping balls.   Instead, Jackson and Keys both gained valuable experience in the UFL this season, returning punts.  Keys recorded 18 punt returns for 229 yards (12.7 avg.) and 39 kickoff returns for 942 yards (24.1 avg.). Jackson, who previously played for the Minnesota Vikings before joining the UFL, was a member of the Louisville Kings Championship team, where he was primarily a wide receiver. He recorded 38 receptions for 440 yards (11.6 avg.) and two touchdowns, as well as nine punt returns for over 100 yards. His longest return went for 30 yards.           The Last Word While an early bye week could disrupt the momentum the Lions built in Week 5, it may be coming at exactly the right time for the team to focus on resolving critical issues, and give returning players added time to regain their form. While it may appear that Campbell and his coaching staff got off to a rocky start, perhaps the Detroit Fans are judging this team too harshly. Pride of Detroit recently reported that, according to PFF.com, the Lions total team grade ranked first overall in the NFL with an 85.0. The Lions’ offense ranks first at 84.1, the defense is 13th at 67.4, and special teams ranks 16th at 76.9. More NFL News: Travis Kelce Is Doing Something Remarkable at 37 Years Old NFL Rumors: Browns Actively Shopping $52 Million Bust Who Deserves the Blame for the Commanders’ Overtime Debacle?