Allen Park — During a 0-5 start that eventually became 1-7, the Lions faced an increasingly tough schedule and some of their defensive players showed their age.
Linebacker Stephen Tulloch turned 30 last January, and after bouncing back from a knee injury and looking good in preseason, he struggled, particularly in the pass game. So, hoping to fix the issue, coaches started pulling him on likely passing downs.
Even with the decreased role, Tulloch will likely reach 100 tackles this season, a testament to his work in the run game. And, as the Lions went 3-1 after the bye week, they’ve held teams to 58.