Aidan Hutchinson was a force to be reckoned with in Week 2 when the Detroit Lions faced off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field. Hutchinson racked up three sacks within the first ten minutes of the game, ultimately finishing with 4.5 sacks by the end.
His performance came against Tampa Bay’s backup right tackle, who simply couldn’t handle the Lions’ rising defensive star. As luck would have it, Hutchinson will have another opportunity this week to face a backup tackle.
Bold prediction of the week: Aidan Hutchinson records 3+ sacks against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Arizona Cardinals have undoubtedly been taking note, especially after watching Hutchinson dominate the Bucs. The Cardinals are also working with a backup right tackle, and their situation might be even more dire. Their starter, Jonah Williams, was placed on IR earlier in the season, forcing the team to rely on Kelvin Beachum on the right side.
The results have been less than ideal:
It gets worse for Arizona. Earlier this week, Beachum sustained a hamstring injury, leaving him questionable on the injury report. This spells trouble for the Cardinals, who only have one other healthy tackle available, and he was recently promoted from the practice squad.
This all plays into the hands of the Lions’ defensive line, which should be able to apply consistent pressure on Kyler Murray. Hutchinson, in particular, has a prime opportunity to rack up sacks.
He’s often applied late pressure, only to miss out on the sack, but he excels when he can get early penetration, as he did last week against Tampa Bay. Kyler Murray, known for extending plays, will have to get through his reads quickly. If the Lions can disrupt him early, they stand a great chance of turning pressures into sacks.
The Lions’ defensive front is also getting a boost. Marcus Davenport has been practicing in full this week and will provide a stronger pass rush presence opposite Hutchinson. DJ Reader is expected to see more playing time as he shakes off the rust, now playing in his second game of the season. With the Lions’ defensive line at full strength and the Cardinals’ offensive line undermanned, the matchup looks favorable for Detroit.
In the end, recording three sacks in any game is impressive. Doing it after a 4.5-sack performance, especially against one of the NFL’s most elusive quarterbacks, would be remarkable. However, given the current circumstances, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Hutchinson will deliver another stellar performance.
