Can Lions' Terrion Arnold keep up with Matthew Stafford in his NFL debut?

ALLEN PARK – Terrion Arnold didn’t play a single snap in his first game at Alabama.

He won't have that luxury in Detroit.

The first-round pick is expected to be thrown into the mix when the Lions open their highly anticipated season on Sunday night, and he could prove to be one of the most important keys to victory – or not – against the Los Angeles Rams.

“As a cornerback, of course, they can attack you on any play,” Arnold said this week. “But especially as a rookie, I know guys like that – I don't really know what kind of quarterback that is or what goes on in Matthew Stafford's head – but I know guys like Aaron Rodgers go after rookies like that. So my main thing is to always be alert.”

No joke. Stafford is entering his 16th season in the league and no one in Detroit needs to know what this guy is capable of. Say what you will about the lack of success during his time with the Lions, but his shooting ability remains among the best in the league. He is also extremely smart and will certainly test a rookie cornerback making his NFL debut.

Arnold is good. But is he good enough to keep up with Puca Nacua?

Can he take on Cooper Kupp?

You can bet Matthew Stafford wants to know the answer to these questions.

“I think Stafford is elite, man,” Arnold said. “Me and (Jared Goff) even talked about it, he's probably one of the best in the game when it comes to no-look throws. Even when you're in zone coverage, it can look like his eyes are over here and he's throwing the ball over there. So you have to do everything you can to not be greedy, but just be in the right spot and trust it.”

Again, no one in Detroit needs to be told this. Stafford was a terrific passer in Detroit and then was outstanding in his return to Ford Field in the wild-card round of last year's playoffs, completing 25 of 36 passes for 367 yards, two touchdowns, no turnovers and a QB rating above 120. Nacua was the biggest beneficiary of all, managing 181 yards and a touchdown.

The Lions survived that storm, made it to the divisional round and made it to the NFC championship game despite allowing 311 passing yards per game in the playoffs. But that's a tough way to make a living, and the Lions have spent significant resources fixing the secondary.

Arnold was the centerpiece of this offseason spending spree. The Lions selected him with the No. 1 cornerback in the draft and then took their second-pick cornerback, Ennis Rakestraw, in the second round. And this was all after they had already traded for Carlton Davis and signed Amik Robertson.

With All-Rookie Brian Branch moving to safety, the Lions are expected to introduce new starters at four of the five defensive back positions. Arnold and Davis are the outside corners, Robertson is expected to start in the slot, while Branch and Kerby Joseph will play together at safety.

Expectations are high for the pass defense right now, although Game 1 could be a challenge. The Rams have one of the best quarterbacks and passing in the league, while Detroit's new secondary has practiced sparingly together due to injuries to Davis, Arnold and Branch. Communication will play a big role.

“You just have to give guys as many reps as you can and then, especially on our walk-throughs, put them in as many tough situations as you can,” defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. “Because the communication aspect is the part they have to master. … Are there going to be ups and downs? Absolutely. But that's the NFL. The thing is, these guys have worked their asses off to be the best communicators they can be.”

The Lions have been working on their communication everywhere, from the practice field – where the music was blaring in preparation for the hectic atmosphere at Ford Field – to the meeting rooms.

“They do a great job at our meetings,” Arold said. “When we see a play, we have to communicate right away. And we also have this thing called the Good Book, so I mean, it's just about holding each other accountable. It's just one of those things, like, if you screwed up on this play, hey, we're all going to call you out on it. And it just fits with our chemistry and it fits with us seeing different looks and things.”

Players can be penalized for poor communication, along with other offenses such as allowing a completion, dropping an interception, calling off plays, failing to kick the football out, or even snitching on a teammate. Penalties range from five to 200 pushups.

Arnold was fined on Thursday after dropping a pick.

“If you touch it, you can catch it,” Arnold said.

If training camp is any indication, Arnold already looks like a good catch. He moves extremely well, has natural instincts for the position, and has caused headaches in one of the best passing games in the league.

“Yeah, he's tough,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “He's tough as nails, so he's given us some problems in one-on-one training in camp. We've tried to bully him a little bit, but that hasn't been particularly successful, so I'm encouraged to see where he's at. He definitely lets you know he's out there, in more ways than one.”

While Arnold has looked good in practice, whether he looks good on Sunday is another matter entirely, and you can bet Matthew Stafford will be excited to find out if the kid is ready.

Is that him?

““I haven't gotten nervous yet, but I think it will definitely happen Saturday morning when I wake up,” Arnold said. “But it's a good feeling. It's the same feeling I've had since I was 6 years old and playing. I can't wait to get out there. I just know I have to take it game by game and day by day.”