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Lions' Kelvin Sheppard Admonishes Terrion Arnold for Glaring Hole in His Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Meyer | Last updated Nov 6, 2025 3:58 PM ET

Key Points:

Terrion Arnold was called out by his DC
Kelvin Sheppard didn't mince words
Arnold will get his running mate back this weekend

The Detroit Lions have a chance to avenge last season's playoff loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday in Washington, D.C. at 4:25 p.m. against a depleted Commanders team without starting QB Jayden Daniels.

The Lions' secondary was shredded by Daniels and the Commanders during last year's big game in the Motor City as then-linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard looked on helplessly.

The Lions' secondary is healthier than it was during last year's playoff game giving the recently minted Lions defensive coordinator hope for a better outcome.

On Thursday, Sheppard did not mince words as he reprimanded starting cornerback Terrion Arnold for an alleged weakness in his game.

Sheppard Speaks on Arnold's Weakness

Sheppard spoke on Arnold's weakness ahead of the Commanders game according to reporter Nolan Bianchi.

"#Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard says that CB Terrion Arnold 'has been outstanding' in pass coverage. Says his run support is 'unacceptable' and he knows that."

#Lions OC John Morton says the protection was the biggest problem against Minnesota on Sunday.

"Winning our one-on-one matchups, that was big. That set us back...we had a lot of third-and-longs."
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) November 6, 2025

Arnold's Heavy Burden With Lions

Arnold has been forced to carry a heavy burden this season with the Lions as injuries and suspensions have created a revolving door situation for the Lions on the back end.

The Lions were forced to make due with a patchwork secondary against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers two weeks ago and came through with flying colors as new heroes emerged including cornerback Nick Whiteside.

This week marks the return of Lions star safety Brian Branch from a suspension levied after the Lions' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Arnold has a chance to step up and provide leadership that has been lacking at times on Detroit's defense, and it starts with going back to the fundamentals.

Arnold is physical cover corner with the God-given ability to make tackles against bigger players, now it's up to him and the rest of the Lions' defense to execute against a Commanders passing attack that still presents a challenge this weekend.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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