ALLEN PARK >> In their quest to fill Derrick Barnes’ role, the Lions have, in part, relied on a locally sourced product.

Salem High School and Saginaw Valley State alumni Trevor Nowaske played just eight defensive snaps in the team’s 42-29 win over the Seattle Seahawks but made a mighty impact with three pressures off the edge — topping Barnes’ production in that area.

And going forward, it’s probably safe to assume the Lions will continue to rely on the former undrafted free agent, who initially signed in the spring of 2023 and spent most of the season in Detroit.

“We don’t want to put him in the Lawrence Taylor role just yet. That was just one game,” defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn joked. “The thing is, yes, he does open our eyes on some things that he can do, but we’ve been knowing Nowaske since he’s been here. We know what he brings to the table…so we’re going to continue to try to up his role and try to help him be the player we know he can be.”

After making the team’s practice squad out of training camp last year, Nowaske wound up making two appearances in his rookie season, with all of his 35 snaps coming on special teams. But due to a roster crunch at the end of the year, he was waived by Detroit and claimed by the Arizona Cardinals.

The Lions were disappointed to lose him at the time but their fortune changed when Nowaske was a roster cutdown casualty after this year’s preseason. Detroit brought him back and gave him his first regular-season look in Week 3, which coincidentally came in a 20-13 win over the Cardinals.

“We were fired up to get him back here,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “Certainly, that’s the role we see him in is that SAM linebacker, some of the X on the third-down position. So, I think there’s a place for him there and we just keep working with him. That’s the best way to say it.

“He’s still a young player, he’s a developing player, and I think…we’re going to need all those guys. We’re going to use everything in our arsenal, especially in the linebacker room.”

Avoiding Penalties

The Lions have been called for the second-most defensive pass interference and defensive holding penalties in the league despite playing one less game than most other teams.

On the season, the Lions have been called for eight defensive pass-interference penalties — rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold has five and veteran Carlton Davis III three — but the Seattle game was the most destructive. The two cornerbacks combined for three defensive holding penalties and three defensive pass interference flags.

“We’re going to get better at these penalties also, and our guys know that, and we’re going to continue to emphasize that,” Glenn said.

But that comes with “a double-edged sword,” Glenn said. The penalty flags have flown because Detroit’s secondary is playing a physical brand of football — which is exactly what Glenn wants. And to that point, the Lions also are tied for second in pass defenses per game (six).

“A lot of times that can be a back and forth because when you’re not challenging, then you’re playing too soft,” Glenn said. “I’m going to ride with the fact that our guys are out there challenging and we’re going to continue to do what we do.”

The coaching point then comes down to refining the technique.

“We still do one-on-ones in practice, receivers and DBs, D-line and O-line, linebackers, tight ends and running backs,” Glenn said. “And when you’re in those situations, and you’re in a tussle match, where are your hands at? … We worked on it our first day in practice when we came back and we’re going to continue to work on those things.”