Nick Whiteside impresses with his dominant performance for undermanned Lions

Coming into Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Detroit Lions were severely undermanned on the back end of their defense, lending to plenty of questions about if they could survive.

As it turns out, that group did more than just survive. They thrived as part of a dominant 24-9 win. While the offense struggled at times, the defense was on point from the start and carried the entire effort. Detroit allowed only 251 total yards and forced two key turnovers.

The outcome was a masterclass from Kelvin Sheppard, but his players found an impressive way to succeed against all odds. Perhaps the best performance came from Nick Whiteside. The cornerback had one tackle and three critical pass breakups, punctuated by an acrobatic swat in the end zone with Tampa Bay driving in the fourth-quarter to narrowDetroit's lead.

After an impressive stint with the Lions in training camp and the preseason, Whiteside earned his way on the practice squad, Most folks would never have expected to see him during a primetime game of consequence, but the Lions have shown they are not averse to an unusually desperate injury crisis playing out, That meant Whiteside always had a better than average chance to play.

Fortunately for Detroit, the Auburn Hills, Michigan native was ready for his moment in the spotlight and delivered. It's safe to say they don't find a way to score a huge win in the NFC playoff race without the exploits of Whiteside in all his big moments.

Whiteside embodies gritty mindset of Lions' key depth players

While Whiteside deserves the majority of the credit given his timely plays, the fact is, Detroit's defense relied on multiple different contributors to get the job done. Arthur Maulet had an interception, while Erick Hallett was Detroit's leading tackler (8). Reserve safties Loren Strickland and Thomas Harper also factored in.

Dan Campbell was impressed with Whiteside and all of his teammates afterward, but as he explained, he wasn't surprised by the performance whatsoever. The reasoning? Detroit has high standards for all their players.

"That's what's expected here. You get in there, you don't have to be perfect. You challenge and compete. We will help you and the guys around you will help you. I love the fact that the game did not feel too big for some of those guys. They got in there and competed and it wasn't too big for them. That's a great sign. I was proud of all those guys. It was really good."

The Lions have one of the most competitive training camps in the NFL, and it helps them prepare players like Whiteside for the eventual task at hand. If and when they are called upon, they have a great chance to succeed because of Detroit's solid process. There's nothing quite like showing up on July 28 and making an impact by October 20. That's exactly what Whiteside was able to do.

It was an outstanding moment for the Lions, but an even more fantastic moment for Whiteside. When everybody is healthy, it's going to be hard to keep him and some of his cohorts out of the lineup after an inspiring effort.

Browns' humiliation of Tua Tagovailoa somehow got even worse

Cleveland rubbed salt in the wounds of the Dolphins and their quarterback.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters he doesn't see how things "could be worse" following their regular-season opening blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts. But those are usually the famous last words before getting hit by an avalanche of misfortune, which has proven true. Look no further than the team's Week 7 31-6 demolition at the hands of the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland's defense put McDaniel and the Dolphins in a blender from the outset of the game, forcing four turnovers and not allowing a touchdown. The final Miami giveaway was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's third interception of the day, which Browns safety Ronnie Hickman ostensibly saw coming.

"Give it to me, Tua," Hickman muttered while mic'd up before and after picking off Tagovailoa. The Browns' third-year defensive back spoke the play into existence and consequently sent Miami's signal-caller to the bench, putting a bow on a lopsided affair.

Ronnie Hickman caps off Browns' bludgeoning of Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins by manifesting INT

Hickman gets tackled by Dolphins wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, then gets up and proceeds to celebrate in the end zone with his Browns comrades. It felt as though Cleveland was dancing on the Tagovailoa-Miami era's grave – literally and figuratively – further adding to the embarrassment.

To make matters worse, Hickman’s takeaway happened as the CBS broadcast was highlighting Tagovailoa’s other two interceptions. The timing was an odd yet hilarious coincidence, albeit presumably not for Dolphins fans, who continue to be the butt of everyone’s jokes. Nevertheless, members of the Browns’ stop unit being able to call their shots speaks to how dire the situation in Miami has gotten.

The Browns may have just pushed the Dolphins toward existential crisis, regardless of what intel since the contest has suggested. McDaniel, who said Tagovailoa will remain Miami’s starter “moving forward,” according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques, appears to be safe for now. Yet, Hickman and Cleveland may have done irreparable damage.

Make no mistake, the Browns boast arguably the NFL’s premier stop unit. However, it’s not like they’re this mighty foe who manhandles opponents, considering they improved to 2-5 by beating the Phins. How Tagovailoa bounces back from this low point and whether Hickman and Cleveland shattered his confidence will say a lot about him.

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