The Detroit Lions are hoping to finish their 58-year streak of by no means making it to the Tremendous Bowl.
Behind an uber-physical offensive line, an ultra-aggressive coach, and defenses and offenses filled with a number of the league’s most promising gamers, the Lions already clinched a playoff spot by alternately crushing opponents and being extra artistic.
But lower than a month earlier than the playoffs start, their Tremendous Bowl ambitions are in peril of being derailed — as a result of one of many league’s finest groups has change into considered one of its most injured.
In all, 13 Lions defenders have been listed on injured reserve coming into Sunday’s potential Super Bowl preview towards Buffalo. Then, the attrition obtained worse.
In a 48-42 loss to the Payments that dropped the Lions to 12-2 and ended their 11-game successful streak, beginning defensive sort out Alim McNeill suffered a season-ending torn ACL; cornerback and special-teams standout Khalil Dorsey suffered a season-ending ankle damage; and beginning cornerback Carlton Davis III fractured his jaw, in response to stories. The earliest that Davis might return could be the NFC championship sport, NFL Community reported.
The Lions’ league-leading offense additionally wasn’t spared Sunday. Working again David Montgomery, who had scored 12 dashing touchdowns and gained 1,116 yards from scrimmage as a rusher and receiver, sprained his MCL and will miss the remainder of the season. Montgomery was half of the Lions’ harmful ball-carrying tandem, together with Jahmyr Gibbs.
At the moment, 22 Lions players are both listed on injured reserve or thought-about out, a depth-sapping run that started through the first preseason sport when defensive sort out David Bada injured his Achilles tendon. In mid-October, a ugly damaged leg sidelined star defensive finish Aidan Hutchinson. In mid-November, linebacker Alex Anzalone broke his left forearm in a collision with a teammate. Just a few weeks later, rookie defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo was misplaced for the season with a knee damage.
Of the 11 Lions defensive starters within the Week 1 season-opener, six have since suffered long-term accidents.
On Sunday, quarterback Jared Goff instructed reporters, “I’m certain there will likely be a ton of stuff written concerning the sky falling, however no, internally, we’re good.”
Two days later, Lions coach Dan Campbell went on an area radio station in Detroit and delivered a fiery Lions state of the union that pushed again on the concept that the Lions’ window as a Tremendous Bowl contender this season had closed.
“We will’t let these accidents be in useless,” Campbell said on 97.1 The Ticket. “All of these gamers helped us get to the purpose we’re at. These final 4 (injured gamers) helped us get to 12 wins, and we owe it to them to complete this factor out. And that’s how I view it.
“So, it means there’s one other alternative for different guys. You understand what occurs is you win 11 in a row and also you lose, after which the sky falls. I hate to say it, however we’re not going to have the ability to win 11 in a row once more for the remainder of this season. We’re simply not going to have the ability to do it.
“What occurs is you get used to consuming filet — and I’m speaking all of us — and all the things’s good. Life’s good, however you forgot what it’s like if you had nothing and also you ate your [expletive] molded bread, and it was simply positive. And it gave you all the things you wanted. Generally you’ve obtained to get punched within the mouth and bear in mind what it was like to actually admire the place you might be, and we’ll try this.”
Although accidents are commonplace within the NFL — Kansas Metropolis, one other Tremendous Bowl contender, is awaiting more clarity on whether or not Patrick Mahomes (ankle) can play this week — the sheer variety of Lions accidents is uncommon.
Simply don’t inform that to Campbell.
“We’re going to friggin’ reduce it unfastened,” he mentioned. “We’re going to play with our particular groups. And I don’t give a crap if we gotta win by 1 level for the remainder of the 12 months, that’s what we’re going to do.”
CORRECTION (Dec. 18, 2024, 6:55 a.m. ET): A earlier model of this text misstated the Lions’ historical past of constructing it to the Tremendous Bowl. They don’t seem to be the one group by no means to make it to the Tremendous Bowl (the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars have additionally by no means made it).
Andrew Greif
Andrew Greif is a contract sports activities journalist.
