The Lions have their second-straight, standalone national TV showcase this week. This time, it’s on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Bucs who boast the best record in the NFC at 5-1.
With such a big game, you know the NFL official in the New York control center bunker will again be watching… and maybe pulling some control levers like with last week’s illegal motion call on Jared Goff.
The Lions might be starting to feel like the ever-watched Truman Burbank in The Truman Show (spoiler alert).
“I have been watching you your whole life. I was watching when you were born. I was watching when you took your first step.”
Also watching the game from outside the stadium will be Brian Branch, who is serving out his 1-game suspension. Or maybe instead of watching the game, Branch will get himself galvanized by watching on a loop the hit piece posted (and then deleted) by NFL Films.
If the Lions needed a rallying point for the rest of the season, the NFL delivered it. The players certainly took notice.
But that’s not all. A couple days later, the NFL send out a punch-out warning to all teams using Jack Campbell as an example.
Expect the Lions to invoke the Michael Jordan “and I took that personally” meme on Monday Night Football. Unfortunately, the top four members of the secondary will not be available this game to “take that personally”. The Bucs will look to take advantage despite hurting at the skill positions and with key losses on both lines.
Trends
Lions starters out
(NP – no practice, LP – limited practice, FP – full practice)
DETROIT LIONS
OUT – Kerby Joseph, S (left knee) starter
While it would be nice to have Joseph on the field with Branch out, sitting him seems like the smart move after watching him struggle to even walk last game.
It’s possible he had a PCL sprain 2 weeks ago, so the 3 weeks of rest before the next game may be enough for it to heal up.
OUT – Terrion Arnold, CB (right shoulder) starter
His appearance at Friday’s practice was a nice surprise. Word is that Arnold is targeting a return after the bye. That would be an excellent outcome as he will have only missed 2 games.
OUT – Avonte Maddox, CB/S (hamstring)
Maddox presumably hurt his hamstring in practice last Thursday. He should have a good chance of returning after the bye.
OUT – Sione Vaki, RB (groin)
Vaki will miss his 4th straight game. Why was he not put on IR initially? Because the recovery time of injuries is not an exact science, and an aggravation is always possible. The groin is a complex area and can include core muscle injuries that sometimes require surgery.
QUESTIONABLE – DJ Reader, DT (back) starter
The 2 LP’s to finish out the week reassures that the back issue is nothing serious even if he misses this game. Taking an occasional game off during the long season is probably a good thing for this 31-year-old who has a history of 2 quad tendon tears.
QUESTIONABLE – Taylor Decker, OT (shoulder) starter
Based on Dan Campbell’s comments in his press conference on Saturday, Decker is “trending” to play. He has missed the last 2 games. His return would free up Dan Skipper to resume his role as the “eligible receiver”.
QUESTIONABLE – Alim McNeill, DT (ACL) starter
The Bucs game is day 20 of his 21-day practice window, and all signs point towards McNeill playing. If he does play, that would mean an ACL recovery of just over 10 months (Dec 15, 2024) which is a very nice outcome. Keep in mind that it will likely take him some time – maybe even the rest of this season – to get back to his former self.
IN – Zach Cunningham, LB (hamstring)
Cunningham has missed the last 3 games, but he’s ready to go now.
IN – Kalif Raymond, WR (personal)
The “in” designation is hopefully a sign that the personal issue isn’t anything serious.
Notables unlisted
PUP/NFI – Can start 21 day practice window anytime
IR (injured reserve) – eligible to return this season
(Rules recap: There is no limit to the number of players that can be placed on IR. Must stay on IR for minimum 4 games. Only 8 are allowed to return during regular season plus bonus 2 for the playoffs. Last season, Lions used 7 returns during regular season and 1 during playoffs.)
Eligible return dates:
IR returns: None so far
IR players:
IR – NOT eligible to return this season (key players listed)
Other
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Notables unlisted
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions vs Bucs Week 7: Final injury report and medical analysis
Reporting by Jimmy Liao, MD, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
