Detroit, MI
Why Lions Playoff Exit Should Not Affect Aaron Glenn’s Coaching Candidacy
The New Orleans Saints have been identified as one of the top potential head coaching destinations for Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
New Orleans fired coach Dennis Allen after a 2-7 start. They finished with an overall record of 5-12 after replacing Allen with special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi.
Glenn, 52, is one of six candidates that the Saints have conducted official interviews with.
• Joe Brady
• Aaron Glenn
• Mike Kafka
• Kellen Moore
• Darren Rizzi
• Anthony Weaver
Glenn and his top-seeded Detroit Lions were upset by Washington in the Divisional Round on Saturday. The good news is that the Saints and the several other teams interested in Glenn may now conduct in-person interviews with him starting on January 20.
There is also bad news with Glenn’s availability. In the loss, Detroit gave up 45 points and 481 yards of total offense to Washington. Upstart Washington was forced to punt only once as they gathered 27 first downs, averaging 6.7 per play, and converted three of four fourth down attempts.
The Lions allowed 31 points in the first half as Washington rolled up 182 rushing yards for the game, averaging 4.7 per run. Dynamic rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels threw for 299 yards and rushed for another 51 without throwing an interception or getting sacked once.
Certainly, it’s not a good look for either Detroit’s defense or Glenn. It should also be noted that the Lions offense committed five turnovers and also hurt themselves with some questionable play-calling.
Some have suggested that the Detroit loss could even hurt the coaching candidacy of either Glenn or offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
It Shouldn’t.
Certainly, the Lions played poorly against Washington. Such a performance is a reflection on both players and coaches. In Glenn’s case, what he was working with against Washington was like a person playing poker and only allowed three cards in his hand.
The Lions entered this year’s playoffs with 13 players on injured reserve. Nine of those were on the defensive side. Detroit came into their game with Washington with 12 defensive starters or major contributors sidelined by injury.
• Aidan Hutchinson, DE
• Alim McNeill, DT
• Mekhi Wingo, DT
• John Cominsky, DE
• Brodric Martin, DT
• Pat O’Connor, DE
• Derrick Barnes, LB
• Malcolm Rodriguez, LB
• Carlton Davis, CB
• Ennis Rakestraw, CB
• Emmanuel Moseley, CB
• Khalil Dorsey, CB
Additionally, the Lions also lost defensive backs Amik Robertson and Ifeatu Melifonwu to injuries during their loss to Washington.
Most coaches and players will quote a ‘next man up’ mentality when asked about injuries, adding that it’s a part of the game. However, there also comes a time when an injury-riddled team simply runs out of quality players. It’s a scenario we saw play out with the New Orleans Saints offense this season.
The Lions were without a large majority of the above listed injured players for most of this season. Detroit ranked only 20th in total defense and 30th against the pass. However, the Lions ranked fifth against the run and seventh in points allowed.
Detroit held 11 opponents to 20 points or fewer, including playoff teams Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, Green Bay, and Minnesota. Eight times teams playing Detroit were held to fewer than 20 points.
The aggressive Lions defense also forced 24 turnovers and recorded 37 sacks. Their 16 interceptions were the fifth most in the league. Additionally, Detroit was also the NFL’s best defense on third downs and was seventh in red zone percentage.
A case could be made that Aaron Glenn did an outstanding coaching job. Especially given the circumstances of dealing with a depleted unit. A smart team would not be turned away from Glenn after one poor outing, even one in a big game.
Jalen Duren reacts to Daniss Jenkins’ career game for Pistons vs Lakers
Jalen Duren on Daniss Jenkins, who scored 30 points to lift Pistons over Lakers, March 23, 2026. “Every time his number’s been called he’s performed.”
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Detroit Pistons nearly took down the defending champs in their own arena without four starters. An MVP-caliber performance by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander allowed the Oklahoma City Thunder to escape.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 47 points, and knocked down 21 of his 25 free throws, to put away the Pistons in overtime, 114-110, on Monday, March 30. Three free throws from Gilgeous-Alexander with 48.3 seconds left in overtime extended the Thunder’s lead to five, 111-106. He then split a trip with 13.3 seconds left, with Ron Holland fouling out, to extend the lead back to four to secure the win for Oklahoma City (after Paul Reed cut it to two with a pair of free throws).
After a hot second half, the Pistons went cold in OT, shooting 3-for-11 in the final five minutes. They were without Ausar Thompson (eight points, seven rebounds and five assists) in the extra period, after he fouled out late in the fourth quarter.
With less than 24 seconds left and a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter, Daniss Jenkins turned the ball over with a bad pass. Gilgeous-Alexander nearly made the Pistons pay, sinking a 3-pointer with four seconds left and the game tied at 101. However, the bucket didn’t count because he pushed off. Jenkins’ 3-pointer at the buzzer missed, leading to overtime.
With the loss, the Pistons (54-21) missed out on a chance to clinch the Central Division, with the Cleveland Cavaliers, eight games back with eight games to play entering Monday, also winning. Still, the Pistons are seven games up with seven to play, with a tiebreaker (division record) yet to be decided. Even with the loss, the Pistons – who’ve locked up a playoff spot and homecourt in the first round – edged closer to clinching the top spot in the East, as the Boston Celtics, who entered four games back of the Pistons, lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. That dropped the Pistons’ “magic number” (any combo of Pistons wins and Celtics losses) to lock up the East down to three.
Next up for the Pistons
It’s a super-short turnaround for the Pistons, who jet back to Detroit to host the Toronto Raptors (42-32) on Tuesday (8 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Extra/MMYD-TV 20). Toronto is tied with Atlanta in the fifth and sixth spots in the Eastern Conference.
Detroit Pistons walking wounded
The Pistons were severely shorthanded, with Jalen Duren (right ankle injury management), Tobias Harris (left hip) and Duncan Robinson (right hip) all missing the game, along with the previously ruled-out Cade Cunningham (left lung pneumothorax) and Isaiah Stewart (left calf strain). They leaned on their depth, with two-way big Tolu Smith and 2025 second-round pick Chaz Lanier rounding out coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s rotation.
Several players stepped up, with Reed (21 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks) leading the way. Javonte Green finished with 19 points and knocked down a season-high five 3-pointers. Kevin Huerter (17 points, six assists, six rebounds), Jenkins (15 points, six assists), Marcus Sasser (12 points, four assists) and Caris LeVert (10 points) also scored in double figures.
Gilgeous-Alexander led all players with 47 points.
Second-half rally for the Pistons
With four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, two big offensive rebounds by Smith allowed the Pistons to take their biggest lead of the night.
The possession ended with a 3-pointer by Jenkins, giving the Pistons a 97-90 lead. But the defending champions battled back, with Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way. He went on a personal 6-0 run, and a corner 3-pointer by Thunder center Jaylin Williams later tied the game at 99 with 1:35 to play.
The Pistons trailed by as many as 15 in the first half but outscored the Thunder in the second half, 58-48. The Pistons made nine of their 17 3-point attempts through the final two quarters and shot 60% overall, while holding the Thunder to 44%. Through the first four periods, they scored 22 points off of 17 Thunder turnovers. The Pistons also owned the offensive glass, grabbing 15 to the Thunder’s six. It allowed them a 16-4 lead in second chance points.
Javonte Green delivers season-best performance
The veteran guard has been an unsung contributor all season. His perimeter defense and 3-point shooting, particularly from the corners, has made him a key glue guy with the second unit. As a starter on Monday, he stepped up and gave one of his best performances in a Pistons uniform.
His five 3-pointers marked a season-high, and all five were timely. His fifth came midway through the fourth period and gave the Pistons the lead during their fourth-quarter push, 90-89. He led an all-around hot night from beyond the arc, and did so while also picking up Gilgeous-Alexander defensively throughout the night.
Defense, outside shooting clicks after first quarter
Trailing by 15 points with under nine minutes left in the second quarter, the Pistons nearly let the game get away. But they responded by locking down defensively and heating up from the arc, which sparked a run and enabled them to take control of the game in the second half.
They held the Thunder to 36.4% shooting (8-for-22) in the second quarter after allowing them to shoot 61.1% (11-for-18) in the first. The Pistons caught fire from the arc in the second half after shooting 30% (6-for-20) in the first half, making four of six attempts in the third period and five of 10 in the fourth.
Watch our podcast, “The Pistons Pulse,” discuss the Cade Cunningham injury fallout, the playoff chase and more:
The Detroit Lions may indeed have a position switch in the cards for one of their top offensive linemen.
While no final decision has officially been made, the Lions appear to be bracing for three-time All-Pro selection Penei Sewell to move from right tackle to left tackle for the 2026 season.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell addressed the possibility during his media appearance Monday at the annual league meetings.
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Campbell told reporters that Sewell is ready to make the switch from the right side to the left and that the coach would like to make the move. The move would come after the departure of Taylor Decker, who requested his release from the team after 10 seasons playing the blindside spot.
Sewell has quickly become one of the top offensive tackles in the league. He was the first draft pick made in general manager Brad Holmes’ tenure, as the team picked him seventh overall in the 2021 draft.
In his five NFL seasons, the Oregon product has earned Pro Bowl honors four times and has been a First Team All-Pro three consecutive seasons.
Lions coach Dan Campbell says he’d like to move Penei Sewell to left tackle, and while no final call has been made yet, “He’s ready to do that.”
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 30, 2026
Sewell has made 83 appearances for the Lions, all starts, and has performed at an exceptional level. He earned a four-year, $112 million contract extension prior to the 2024 season for his efforts.
The Lions have had somewhat of a topsy turvy offseason, as they’ve parted ways with key contributors in years past such as Decker, running back David Montgomery and linebacker Alex Anzalone.
Decker’s departure came after he initially announced his intention to return after mulling retirement, but talks with the front office broke down after they wanted him to take a pay cut.
As a result, the Lions now need a left tackle. They signed veteran Larry Borom to a one-year deal in free agency, but Borom’s starting experience has mostly come on the right side. As a result, there’s belief that Sewell could transition to the left side full time.
Sewell made the first eight starts of his career at left tackle in 2021, filling in while Decker was on injured reserve. Since then, he’s played exclusively on the right side with Dan Skipper predominantly filling in for Decker when the veteran was unable to go.
Skipper retired this offseason and has joined the Lions’ coaching staff as an offensive assistant.
The Lions also have 2024 fourth-round pick Gio Manu returning for his third NFL season. Manu was drafted as a developmental prospect, and has made just one start in his first two campaigns and spent the majority of last season on injured reserve.
Last season, Sewell earned a 95.2 overall offensive grade via Pro Football Focus and an elite 96.8 run-blocking grade. He’s proven to be one of the most durable players on the roster, missing just two possible starts in five seasons.
The Michigan Wolverines are the last Michigan team standing in college hockey as both Western Michigan and Michigan State lost in the round of eight.
Michigan will face Denver, while Wisconsin and North Dakota face off in the other semi-final game this week.
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