ALLEN PARK: Alim McNeill and the Detroit Lions seemed to have Week 18 highlighted on their calendar for the standout defensive lineman’s comeback from an injured knee.
And, with McNeill back at practice and in his usual positive and hopeful demeanor, the stud inside defender is looking and sounding like he’ll be back in the middle against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18. McNeill is also very interested in achieving that aim.
“That was, that’s what helped me through this in a way,” McNeill told me. “It was just me telling myself that and pushing for that goal.” But, yeah, that was very reassuring and useful to know. It was also comforting to know that I didn’t require surgery or anything like that. Fortunately, I didn’t require it. It was simply a sprain, so I just let it quiet down and heal.
“I’ve been sitting for four weeks now. Just raising the upper body. Squatting. So, in a way, I feel like I just got out of the offseason. I’m feeling really, really terrific. I don’t feel it when I’m wearing this (brace), therefore it’s a great situation. But I’m feeling great. Really revitalized. During the first two weeks, all I could do was sleep and eat. I got my sleep and whatnot from those previous trips back, so I’m good. Very good.”
And the knee brace McNeill mentions is difficult to overlook. McNeill said he’ll have to wear it in games for the foreseeable future, but it’s not a problem because it’s tailored to his knee and situation.
“Obviously, I believe it exists. But, honestly, I don’t,” McNeill said in the locker room on Wednesday. “I didn’t think twice about it when I was on the field.” It doesn’t prevent me from getting in and out of my cuts, or from bending or doing other things.”
McNeill’s return ahead of the postseason is not to be dismissed. When he suffered a knee injury in New Orleans, the third-year interior defender was playing some of the finest ball at his position in the league. McNeill was creating pressure and getting home at a career-high rate, and he was receiving league-wide recognition for his outstanding play.
“Yeah, it’ll be good,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “It’ll be great to have him back. And I know he’s looking forward to it just as much as we are, so he’s excited, and he’ll be back here for us soon. And, yes, he’s excited, so I think it’ll be fine.
“This time of year, for him, it’s always going to feel like Game 1 again.” He’ll be fresh, with fresh legs and a fresh enthusiasm about him, so that’s good.”
McNeill was ranked sixth among inside defenders with enough snaps to qualify by Pro Football Focus at the time of his injury. He has 31 tackles, six for loss, nine quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and a career-high five sacks and 33 pressures through 12 games.
Those 33 middle pressures remain second on the team, trailing Aidan Hutchinson’s 93 by a country mile. Those five sacks rank second on the team despite missing a month of action, if anyone needs any more proof of how desperately this defense needs McNeill back.
“I just want to win this next game, go to the playoffs, and win the Super Bowl,” McNeill said of his stats and leadership. “I don’t care if I had 14 sacks or none, so.” But I had no idea that was where it was. But, to be honest, I expect Aidan to run away with it. He’s about to turn it up a notch. To be honest, seeing him do that would be a lot of pleasure.”
As McNeill was saying this, Hutchinson passed by in the dressing room and said:
“I see you, Mac.”
It’s also worth mentioning that the Lions have altered a lot in the last month. They’ve exorcised some generational demons by capturing their first division championship in 30 years, and they’ll host their first playoff game in the same time frame.
McNeill said he wasn’t concerned about missing out on that moment in Minnesota because he believed the team would handle it. Even though he wasn’t on the road that day, McNeill still celebrated and yelled at home on Christmas, even after the game.
“I was the only one. “I was just screaming in there,” McNeill explained. “It doesn’t get any better than that.” We obtained the dub. I was lighted when Iffy (Melifonwu) received the small pick. I was on fire. “It was just me yelling.”
The defensive line has also undergone significant adjustments. Tyson Alualu has replaced Isaiah Buggs and Bruce Irvin on the defensive line. McNeill now has a new running partner after Alualu played more than half of the defensive snaps against the Dallas Cowboys last weekend.
And as a 14-year veteran and former first-round pick, Alualu has seen it all. He’s appeared in nearly 200 games throughout his career, including a recent postseason appearance with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played some of his greatest football.
“Doing it with Tyson is going to be really easy, because he’s been here — He’s been in the league forever,” McNeill told ESPN. “He’s been in the league for a long time. You know, he’s teaching me, and I’m learning new things from him every day since I’ve returned. It shouldn’t be difficult.
“Just minor details or whatever in terms of alignment or how to play a specific block assignment.” Because he’s seen everything. And he’s been there a lot longer than I have. It really could be anything. I just asked him what he thought about this block or this alignment or something like that at practice today. It’s really tiny things like that that assist me a lot.”
