After giving up 48 points to the Buffalo Bills in what was their second loss of the season, the Detroit Lions may have more bad news ahead for their defense.
The Lions suffered a series of potentially devastating injuries in the 48-42 loss on Sunday, with head coach Dan Campbell saying after the game that a trio of key players might be lost for the rest of the season.
The news comes amid a spate of other injuries for the Lions on defense, with Sunday’s loss making the remaining three games of the season all the more important.
Lions May Lose Two Players
As reporter Tim Twentyman noted after the game, Campbell had a bad feeling on two players who went down during the game.
“Dan Campbell said he doesn’t fell good about injuries to Alim McNeill and Carlton Davis III. Thinks they could be season ending,” Twentyman shared in a post on X.
McNeill suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s loss and was ruled out, while Davis was lost at the start of the second half with a jaw injury. The Lions cornerback Khalil Dorsey also went down with what appeared to be a fractured leg, meaning three key defensive players could be gone.
Campbell said the team would know more after the players undergo testing on Monday, but struck a pessimistic note while talking to reporters.
“Normally if I’m like saying I don’t feel good, that means it’s not good for the rest of the year,” Campbell said, via ESPN. “So, I don’t feel good about it.”
There may not be as much suspense with Dorsey. The cornerback collided with teammate Ezekiel Turner in the second quarter, appearing to suffer a leg fracture. He was surrounded by teammates on the field before being carted off to the locker room.
The Lions have been hit hard by injuries this year, including leading edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson who suffered a gruesome leg fracture in a win over the Dallas Cowboys. The team has a total of 13 defensive players on the injured reserve list, though Campbell said Hutchinson might be able to return if the team advances to the Super Bowl.
Loss Deals Blow to Playoff Standing
Going into Sunday’s game, the Lions had a one-game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles for the top overall seed in the NFC, but the teams ended the day in a tie after their loss to the Bills and an Eagles win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Lions lost despite scoring 42 points in what was the highest-scoring NFL game of the season. Campbell took blame after the game, saying his team just wasn’t good enough to stand up to the AFC contender.
“Now we know where we stand against one of the AFC’s best teams,” Campbell said, via ESPN. “Today, that wasn’t good enough.”
The loss also prevented the Lions from making up critical ground in the NFC North. The Minnesota Vikings have won six straight games to move to 11-2 and could move into a tie with the Lions if they beat the Chicago Bears on Monday night.
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