No longer just a run-stopper, Lions LB Jack Campbell unlocking pass-rush potential

Allen Park — In his third season, Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell is evolving.

A heat-seeking missile programmed to destroy running backs since he arrived in the league out of Iowa, Campbell is adapting to be able to effectively run through and around backs on his way to the quarterback.

For all the talk the Minnesota Vikings garnered for their ability to generate pressure up the middle against the Lions last weekend, Campbell was doing the same for the Lions, setting a new career-high with four quarterback pressures, giving him seven over the past two games.

In the second quarter, on third-and-9 inside the red zone, Campbell made 230-pound running back Jordan Mason look like a child, driving him into the lap of quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The QB tried to bail from the pocket, but never had a chance. His feet got tangled with Mason’s, resulting in a heels-over-head tumble to the Ford Field turf for Campbell’s fourth sack of the season.