After surrendering 48 points to the Buffalo Bills in their second loss of the season, the Detroit Lions are now facing more troubling news regarding their defense.
The Lions were hit with a series of potentially severe injuries during the 48-42 defeat on Sunday.
Head coach Dan Campbell expressed concern after the game, revealing that three key players may be lost for the remainder of the season.
This setback adds to a growing list of defensive injuries for the Lions, making the final three games of the season even more crucial.
As noted by reporter Tim Twentyman, Campbell expressed a bad feeling about two of the players who went down during the game.
“Dan Campbell mentioned that he doesn’t feel good about the injuries to Alim McNeill and Carlton Davis III, suspecting they could be season-ending,” Twentyman wrote in a post on X.
McNeill was ruled out with a knee injury during the game, while Davis sustained a jaw injury at the start of the second half.
The Lions’ cornerback, Khalil Dorsey, also appeared to suffer a serious leg injury, likely a fracture, leaving three major defensive players potentially sidelined for the season.
Campbell indicated that the team would have a clearer picture after the players underwent testing on Monday but remained cautious in his outlook.
“If I say I don’t feel good about it, it usually means it’s not good for the rest of the year,” Campbell explained to reporters, via ESPN. “So, I don’t feel good about it.”
Dorsey’s injury seemed particularly concerning.
The cornerback collided with teammate Ezekiel Turner in the second quarter, immediately showing signs of a leg fracture.
He was surrounded by teammates and then carted off the field to the locker room.
This season has already been marked by a string of injuries for the Lions, including the loss of their top edge rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, who suffered a gruesome leg fracture during a win against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Lions now have 13 defensive players on injured reserve.
However, Campbell noted that Hutchinson might be able to return if the team reaches the Super Bowl.
Heading into Sunday’s game, the Lions held a one-game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles for the top seed in the NFC. But after their loss to the Bills and an Eagles win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the teams are now tied for the top spot.
Despite scoring a remarkable 42 points in what was the highest-scoring game of the NFL season, the Lions came up short.
Campbell shouldered the blame for the loss, admitting that his team wasn’t prepared to compete against one of the top AFC teams.
“Now we know where we stand against one of the AFC’s best,” Campbell said after the game, per ESPN. “Today, that wasn’t good enough.”
The defeat also dealt a blow to the Lions’ pursuit of the NFC North title.
The Minnesota Vikings extended their win streak to six games, improving to 11-2, and could pull even with the Lions if they beat the Chicago Bears on Monday night.