ALLEN PARK — Whether Marcus Davenport is ready to play or not, expect a bigger role from Detroit Lions edge defender Al-Quadin Muhammad moving forward.
Muhammad is perhaps the player from last year’s defense to make the most of his opportunities, with injuries hitting that side of the ball.
He landed with Detroit’s practice squad the week before Aidan Hutchinson’s season-ending injury, and was signed to the active roster one month later. The 30-year-old appeared in nine games, earning two starts while posting three sacks, four tackles for loss and 26 pressures for a defense needing every single one of those quarterback disruptions.
Muhammad re-signed with the Lions over the offseason, and all of a sudden, again finds himself in a position to play a key role for a contender.
He was limited to only seven snaps in the season-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers. But saw his usage spike to 36 defensive plays against the Chicago Bears last week. Muhammad took advantage of those chances, posting one sack and finishing second on the team with three pressures created.
Earlier this week, Dan Campbell threw a ton of praise Muhammad’s way, saying he is one of those strong, explosive players you never have to worry about giving their all on every single snap. The Lions coach added, “He’s been big for us, and he’s going to get more of a role. He’s earned that.”
Pro Football Focus ranks Muhammad as the 12th-best edge rusher in the league through two weeks, with his pass-rushing chops standing as his best marks.
“(That means) a lot. That’s just a part of who I am,” Muhammad told MLive in the locker room on Thursday. “I’m a firm believer that what you do in practice shows up in the game, so I try always to make sure I’m practicing at that game speed.”
Muhammad didn’t have the smoothest path to this type of role at this stage of his career. He’s been in the league since 2017, spending time with the New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears before landing in Detroit.
He had his best career season in 2021, posting six sacks while starting 17 games in Indianapolis. But the next season, he was in a rotational role in Chicago, posting only one sack before not appearing in a game in 2023, back in Indianapolis on the practice squad.
Muhammad credits Campbell and the team culture crafted in Detroit for him finding his footing after a couple of down years fighting for a spot. He also understands the defense, as he played under former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in New Orleans, and nearly a year back in the system here in Detroit.
“Just the culture. The culture and what coach Campbell stands for, what (Kelvin Sheppard) Shep stands for, what coach Kacy (Rodgers) stands for — the whole organization,” Muhammad said. “I think I just fit perfectly, and we play the game the right way. That’s how I grew up playing. It’s perfect.”
Davenport’s status is very unclear moving forward. He suffered a pair of injuries in the win over the Bears, suffering what was initially called a shoulder injury after notching his first sack of the season. The Lions have clarified that it’s a chest injury for Davenport, but they are still waiting on medical tests to chart out his best path forward.
It sounds more unlikely by the day that the veteran pass rusher will play against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. And if he is out, expect Muhammad to play a ton of snaps on the other side of Hutchinson, with the Lions needing every pressure to disrupt Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson as much as possible.
“He’s done what I’ve seen him do since day one of training camp — He’s come in here with nothing promised to him. He didn’t even know if he was making the team,” Sheppard said. “This is an eight- or nine-year vet playing in the preseason. Turn on them preseason games and tell me what you see from No. 96, it’s the same thing we’re seeing now.
“He’s been phenomenal, man. Look at the effort he plays with, that is the identity of the Detroit Lions’ defense. Forget the stats. Forget any of that stuff. Just talk to me about Muhammad’s effort and that is the standard for the Lions’ defense.”