Bruce Irvin to make debut for Detroit Lions, Anzalone out against New Orleans Saints
Bruce Irvin is ready to make his Detroit Lions debut.
The Lions elevated Irvin to the game day roster for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints, a little over two weeks after he signed to the practice squad.
Irvin has not played this season, but the Lions are hoping he can spark their inconsistent pass rush.
The Lions (8-3) rank 26th in the NFL in sack percentage and have gotten little production from their edge rushers outside of Aidan Hutchinson (5.5 sacks). Julian Okwara, Charles Harris, Romeo Okwara, John Cominsky and Josh Paschal have a combined 4.5 sacks this season.
Irvin, who missed most of the 2020-21 seasons with an ACL injury, has 55.5 career sacks. He had 3.5 sacks in 11 regular season games with the Seattle Seahawks last year and is expected to play as a situational rusher Sunday.
“He’s a craftsman,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “He does have a quick first step, but he’s really good with his hands. His hands and his hips. He can bend. And so that’s been developed over time and that’s a little bit like riding a bike when you’re somebody like him.”
The Lions also elevated defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna from the practice squad to the game day roster for the third straight week and downgraded linebacker Alex Anzalone to out with a wrist injury.
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Anzalone did not travel with the team to New Orleans, where he spent the first four seasons of his NFL career.
Bohanna has played a rotational role as a run defender for the Lions in recent weeks. He is out of practice squad elevations, so the Lions will have to sign him to the 53-man roster if they intend to play him again this season.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bruce Irvin to make debut for Detroit Lions against New Orleans Saints
