“It could have been worse than what it was,” Arnold said. “But I’m back now. I feel good and ready to go out and play.”
Arnold, Detroit’s first-round pick in this year’s draft, has been starting since the first day he arrived in Detroit and has continued to develop and improve as the year has gone on. He plays physical football on the outside that fits Aaron Glenn’s scheme. He has 60 tackles this season with 10 assists and has only allowed four touchdowns all season, playing 662 coverage snaps.
The Commanders have a terrific quarterback in Jayden Daniels who can play on the outside with his arms and legs, as well as two good receivers in Terry McLaurin and Olamide Zaccheaus. Having a physical presence like Arnold in the lineup, who can cover and support the run, is important to the Lions defense.
Starting the entire season and playing big games in college at Alabama prepared Arnold for this moment Saturday night.
“It prepared me a lot,” he said. “I approach these games with the same mentality that I approach every game. I want to go out there and do my job, let the game come to me and play for my teammates. Sometimes in games like this you can kind of letting whatever happens doesn’t matter, I’m just trying to do a good job of keeping a cool head: ‘What’s my mission’ to the best of my ability.”
