The Detroit Lions aren't worried about Terrion Arnold's penalties

Terrion Arnold was penalized for pass interference in each of his first three games as an NFL cornerback. He drew two flags in his first game.

But Detroit defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend said Arnold is off to a strong start after going to the Lions with the 24th pick in the NFL Draft on April 25.

“It was great,” Townsend said. “Looking back at my rookie year and his year, I would choose his over mine, I know that, so he did a great job. …

“He is confident. He's great. He comes to work every day with a smile on his face and never has a bad day. And that’s what you want.”

Like Arnold, Townsend came to the NFL from Alabama. Townsend was a fourth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1998 and played 13 NFL seasons. With 191 regular season and 14 playoff games as a cornerback on his NFL record, Townsend doesn't see pass interference penalties as a major problem.

“That's the thing in the league: If you're a DB and you're playing, you've had at least one PI call you,” Townsend said, “so that's the nature of the business and he just has to stay playing.” And the only thing we have to continue to do is not worry about the penalties and just go play.

“I always joke and tell them they can’t call 60 PIs, so stick around. And that's what we want. He was close in a lot of coverage, and that's the main thing. We want to continue to work on these little things and stay close in reporting and continue to be on the cutting edge of technology.”

Arnold is one of 19 defensive backs coached by Nick Saban at Alabama who are currently on NFL rosters, including his Detroit teammate Brian Branch. Townsend said that despite that background, there is an adjustment to the NFL that rookie defensive backs must make.

“The footwork part will be largely constant” Townsend said. “It's just the hands that are completely different in the league. You know, you really have to learn to win with your eyes and your feet and continue to have the mindset that your man won't get it.

“I think the most important part is the mental state. If you have the right mental state and play the man, you’ll be fine.”

The Lions play the Seattle Seahawks on Monday at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Ford Field in Detroit. ABC will televise the game.

The Seahawks are looking to join the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings as undefeated teams in the NFL four weeks into the 2024 season.

Two-time Pro Bowler DK Metcalf leads Seattle with 17 receptions for 262 yards and two touchdowns.

“Man, you've got DK Metcalf for one and you've got a really good group of receivers to face and they're throwing the ball,” Townsend said of the Seahawks. “They do a good job of having a really good back and letting him run, but they can still spread you out and push the ball vertically, and that's always the challenge when you have a group like that. “And they come 3-0 here. They did a good job of putting the ball in the air and making explosive plays and we have to stop that.”

Arnold's opponents so far in his NFL career have included Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams, Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Marvin Harrison of the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions wouldn't hesitate to pair Arnold and Metcalf if necessary, Townsend said.

“That’s why he’s here,” Townsend said. “They saw that ability and that’s why we brought him in. And he’s going to be a really good, really good player in his league for a long time.”

According to statistics from profootballreference.com, the receiver covered by Arnold was targeted 21 times (not counting the penalty plays). He has allowed 13 completions for 146 yards and one touchdown.

In his NFL debut, Arnold allowed eight completions on 10 throws for 68 yards and a touchdown in the Lions' 26-20 victory over the Rams on September 8. In his final game, Arnold allowed three completions on nine targets for 47 yards and caught two passes in Detroit's 20-13 victory over the Cardinals on September 22.

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