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Detroit Lions' Aaron Glenn explains DB shakeup: 'Everything we can to play at a high level'
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- Detroit Lions' Aaron Glenn explains DB shakeup: 'Everything we can to play at a high level'
Brian Branch is capable of handling a bigger role. Aaron Glenn just doesn't want him to for now, so the Detroit Lions can get the most out of their talented rookie at the position he plays best.
That was Glenn's explanation Thursday for why he dialed back Branch's workload in last week's loss to the Chicago Bears , when Branch played exclusively as a slot cornerback after splitting his time between safety and nickel duties the previous month.
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"That was just a decision that I wanted to make so he could concentrate on the nickel spot and really get that down because he's a damn good player at that spot and I want to make sure he plays as much as possible and be the best at it," Glenn said.
Branch had a quiet game statistically with three tackles, but Glenn said he did "a really good job" in his more limited role.
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Saints quarterback Taysom Hill attempts to pull away from Lions safety Brian Branch during the second half of the Lions' 33-28 win on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in New Orleans.
A second-round pick out of Alabama, Branch was one of the Lions' most impactful defensive players early in the season , when he started at slot corner with Kerby Joseph and C.J. Gardner-Johnson playing safety. He returned a Patrick Mahomes interception for touchdown in a Week 1 win over the Kansas City Chiefs and had 11 tackles, including three for loss, in a Week 3 win over the Atlanta Falcons .
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But Gardner-Johnson has been out since tearing his pectoral muscle in mid-September and his replacement, Tracy Walker has a team-worst 117.9 passer rating against, according to Pro Football Reference.
The Lions started working Branch more into the safety rotation around the bye, after he returned from a high ankle sprain , and for most of November he played safety in base packages and move to the slot when Walker would come on the field as the fifth defensive back.
Last week, Ifeatu Melifonwu joined Joseph in the starting lineup at safety, and Branch played 37 of a possible 71 defensive snaps (52%) at slot.
Glenn said Wednesday he anticipates using Branch and Melifonwu in similar roles for this week's game against the Denver Broncos .
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"The thing that I wanted to do with (Branch) is let him focus in on one job," Glenn said. "I look at it the same way when I had (Gardner-Johnson) when I was in New Orleans . Listen, he was playing some safety, playing some nickel, I mean there was a lot within that because of what we asked those guys at that position to do. So, I wanted to make sure that I dial it back for him, let him focus on nickel, let him play nickel, and I thought it was a really good game for him."
Green Bay Packers receiver Christian Watson makes a leaping 53-yard catch on the first play of the game against Detroit Lions safety Tracy Walker III (21) during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023.
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On the Lions made to their secondary last week, Glenn said he had been wanting to give Melifonwu more time at safety.
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"The thing is, he had the injury with his hand," Glenn said. "He's getting better with that, so we just thought this was the week to give him a chance to go out there and start and see how he did, and I think he did a pretty good job. Listen, it's his first time starting in a while and there were some mistakes in there, just like any other player would be and I think he did a pretty good job. And we're going to continue to move in that direction, see how he do."
And similar to safety, Glenn said the plan is for Kindle Vildor and Jerry Jacobs to continue splitting reps at the No. 2 cornerback spot. Jacobs has started all 12 games this season and leads the Lions with three interceptions, but has given up six touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference , including the game-winner late in the third quarter last week.
Vildor, who started 22 games with the Bears in 2020-22, made his Lions debut last week.
"He's a calming presence, he's a guy that's been around before," Glenn said of Vildor. "He's very smart. And he understands exactly what we're doing. We want to continue to try to utilize that. Listen, Jerry's not a guy that we're throwing away, and I don't want anybody to think that. Listen, there's still skins on the wall with that player, also. He's done some good things for us, but the thing is, man, we've got to do everything we can to play at a high level and we're going to continue to find the guys that'll do that for us."
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Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Aaron Glenn explains why Detroit Lions' Brian Branch has limited role
