The Lions’ defensive line did its thing, roughing up Mayfield and forcing penalties, but the mishmash unit held its own and made play after play all night. The group flew around the field. If they were wronged or beaten, they were doing it by their hair. And they were rarely wrong and didn’t hit as hard against a pass rush that has scorched opponents to open the season.
“That’s what’s expected here,” Campbell said. “I’ve said it before, you get in there, you don’t have to be perfect, you just challenge and you compete, and we’ll help you and the guys around you will help you.
“I love the fact that the game didn’t seem too big for those guys. It was Harper’s and Hallett’s first start. I didn’t think it was too big for them. They got in there and competed and that’s a great sign.”
First start? Heck, Hallett hadn’t even played defensive snap in his career before “MNF.” In the bright lights, Jacksonville’s 2023 sixth-round pick, who spent the past two years on the practice squad, played 62 snaps and tied for the team lead with eight tackles.
Whiteside, a native of Auburn Hills, Mich., entered the draft in 2023 and had not played defensive end since his rookie year at Washington. He had a team-high three passes defensed and gave up just one catch on six targets – a 22-yard touchdown.
A free agent in 2024, Harper bounced from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, where he played in 15 games, including five starts for the second-ranked Raiders last year. The safety allowed zero catches on two targets with three tackles on 52 carries.
Maulet is a 32-year-old journeyman who is not competing for his sixth team in nine years. He has 23 career starts in 87 games played, but hasn’t started in a contest since 2023. The veteran had five tackles and an interception while allowing just 27 yards on six catches.
“I told those guys, man, after the game, how proud I was of them,” said Robertson, who allowed 33 yards on six catches. “Every last one of them — Whiteside, Harper, everybody. All I thought about when I was out there, man, is playing for those guys. I told them, even though it might be your first chance, show the world. We heard the noise. These guys went out there and played their hearts out. I had no doubts about them. Let’s go out there and show everybody what I thought, and not what we did and didn’t do.”