Broken hand delays, doesn't deny Lions' Melifonwu's chance to start and shine

Detroit — Durability has been the bane of Ifeatu Melifonwu's NFL existence. Every time the Detroit Lions defensive back has been on the cusp of entering the starting lineup, the injury bug has struck, derailing those plans.

It happened again last month, when the Lions were looking to make a change at safety and his middle finger caught the pads of teammate Brock Wright during a one-on-one pass-rush drill in practice. That caused it to jam backwards, breaking a bone in Melifonwu's hand.

Instead of entering the starting lineup, his hand entered a cast. Actually, the more fitting description would be a club, since his hand had to be closed to heal properly. But this time, Melifonwu's opportunity would only be delayed, not denied.

Following a promising debut as a starter in last week's loss to Chicago, he delivered the finest performance of his career in Saturday's thrashing of the Denver Broncos, racking up nine tackles, two pass breakups and a first-quarter strip-sack that squashed a likely scoring drive.

"It's a blessing," Melifonwu said. "I thank God for being healthy right now and to be on the field. It just means a lot over these past three years to finally be out there and be playing."

At 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Melifonwu has the frame of a strong safety, but he can't be put in a box, figuratively or literally. Against the Broncos, he showcased an impressively versatile skill set, affecting the quarterback as a blitzer, breaking up a deep ball from a free safety alignment and playing some sticky man coverage, despite giving up a hotly contested touchdown in the third quarter.

And for all the plays he made Saturday, that score was the one he was thinking about after the game. He had been blanketing Broncos receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey on the route and there appeared to be a bobble that would cause the catch to be overturned after a review. Even the Broncos thought so, sending their offense back on the field anticipating the reversal, but the call ultimately stood.

"I was just mad," Melifonwu said. "I'm still mad thinking about it. I should have just broke it up. It doesn't really matter if it (wasn't turned over), if it was questionable, I'm just (mad) thinking about it. I should have broken it up."

Even though he didn't get the PBU, in that moment Melifonwu flashed the skills he had developed as a cornerback at Syracuse, a position he also played as a rookie in Detroit, before being moved to safety. The switch wasn't easy. He had to learn more about blitzes and their timing — something senior defensive assistant John Fox has been harping on — gap fits and pulling blocks, things that never came up when he was defending a receiver on the perimeter. But deep into his third season, everything seems to finally be clicking for the young defender.

"Iffy, his thing really has been the durability," Lions coach Dan Campbell said. "Well, he’s been healthy. He’s been able to stay on the field and his body’s holding up. And he’s a smart, athletic, physical player. He’s got length and range and him back there with () Kerby (Joseph) look, we’re getting better. We’re getting better."

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers