Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, like many, thought his team was going to emerge victorious against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17.
However, the way the game unfolded took him back to his time at Michigan in college. After the two-point conversion was nullified, he was reminded of a moment he had while playing for the Wolverines.
In his senior campaign, the Wolverines lost at rival Michigan State in a battle of undefeated teams. That game featured a play in which Hutchinson recovered a fumble and scored a touchdown on a strip-sack. The fumble was eventually overturned and ruled incomplete, turning the momentum of the game.
Michigan lost that game but bounced back to win the Big 10 championship and appear in the College Football Playoff.
During his appearance on teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown's podcast, Hutchinson said he believes the controversial loss to the Cowboys can have a similar effect on this year's Lions team.
"I think if that game wouldn't have happened, that wouldn't have propelled us the rest of the season. Even beating Ohio State, winning the Big 10 championship that year. I don't think any of that would've happened," Hutchinson explained. "That's why I kind of correlate that with this, because this is one of those things where, this is like some destiny stuff. It's like, it was a stupid call, it is what it is. But I think this is only gonna motivate us, and especially as we move into the playoffs and if we advance and we play Dallas again at their place. There's so much confidence knowing we should've won that game. It's like a destiny thing, I feel like it's written in the stars."
St. Brown marveled at Hutchinson's words, stating he wanted to "run through a (expletive) brick wall."
Creating havoc
Hutchinson had three sacks against Dallas, upping his season total to 9.5. This was an encouraging performance, as he had recorded just two sacks in the previous 10 games.
He has still been one of the most impactful defenders, ranking third in the NFL in pressures. However, he was able to make a large difference for the defense in Saturday's game.
Utilizing his spin move as well as sheer quickness, he was able to break down Dallas' offensive linemen for three sacks, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Yet, he's not concentrated on accumulating one particular stat to measure his effectiveness.
“Sacks are such a tedious stat," Hutchinson explained. "Even the best rushers, you can go multiple games without a sack. I really value the hits, the pressures, everything. Really, how I measure a defensive end’s success is how much havoc can you create? Because sacks are such a weird thing to come by.”
Hutchinson has battled through extensive attention from opponents throughout the season. The Lions lack depth when it comes to pass rushers, so opponents have concentrated more on the second-year rusher.
“I just think it, look, you do all the hard work that you do and especially the way he plays. I mean, he’s relentless," Dan Campbell said. "He gives everything he’s got to win the rep every time and, you know, to almost and almost and almost get there. And then you get there, and then you get there, and then you get there. I think that’s pretty satisfying. He’s always gonna want more, but it makes you wanna get more."
His relentless effort has been a key factor in his ability to maintain pressure on the quarterback. Though he hasn't logged eye-popping stats this season from a sacks perspective, he has managed to make opposing passers uncomfortable because of his unstoppable nature.
Additionally, working against the double teams he's faced has been impactful for his development.
"Every time you’re able to beat a double team or beat a one-on-one a little bit faster, your confidence goes up and you gain experience doing it," Campbell stated. "All of that’s not possible if you don’t put out the effort he’s putting in to it either, by the way. You just can’t. At some point, there’s guys who get doubled and they’ve had production, they get doubled and there is nothing anymore because it takes too much energy, time after time, to beat two guys. Anyways, he’s playing at a high level for us.”
More must-reads: