Notes: Alex Anzalone reflects on Aubrey Pleasant's firing, trusts Dan Campbell

Though he wasn’t directly under his coaching, Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone knows losing defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant is difficult for the team. Pleasant was fired by the team on Monday and Anzalone, a team captain, was asked for his thoughts on the decision.

“It’s disappointing just to be in this situation, and knowing AP, getting to know him in the last two years, it’s tough to see someone lose a job,” Anzalone said. “He has a family. I think his wife’s pregnant, he has a little one. It’s a tough business and you just have to trust (coach) Dan (Campbell) made the right decision.”

As the Lions sit at the bottom of the NFC North and the entire league at 1-6, the veteran said this firing has definitely set a tone.

“AP wasn’t my coach but it’s like, what did I do to get him fired?” Anzalone continued. “If everyone takes that perspective on it, that’s really when you will get growth out of a tough situation like this.”

Campbell took the podium shortly after the announcement to explain that while he has respect for Pleasant, the results of his coaching weren’t showing up on the field.

“It was a tough decision, but we’re a production-based business. After seven weeks, it just felt like this change needed to be made. I wish him the best of luck,” he said, in part.

Given Pleasant’s impact on his players, it’s likely we’ll hear from more in the coming days.

And onto the rest of your notes.

• “It’s fascinating — and perhaps a bit perplexing — how we got here and how this ended.” The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy and Nick Baumgardner try to make sense of the Pleasant firing. ($) There’s a lot to unpack there.

• More from the Lions’ homecoming weekend.

• One thing you’ll hear in most of the Lions’ recent press conferences is that they’re so close. Mlive’s Kyle Meinke takes a hard look at what the heck being close actually means. ($)

• “This game looked like it was going to turn into a blowout win for the Lions after they took an early 14-0 lead, but for the third straight week, this team forgot how to play football.” Lions earn a C- from CBS Sports’ John Breech.

• Well dang. Kerby Joseph is multi-talented.