After allowing 48 points to the Buffalo Bills in their second loss of the season, the Detroit Lions’ defense may be in for more bad news.
The Lions sustained a series of potentially devastating injuries in Sunday’s 48-42 loss, with head coach Dan Campbell indicating after the game that a trio of crucial players could be out for the remainder of the season.
The news comes amid a slew of other defensive injuries for the Lions, with Sunday’s loss making the next three games of the season even more crucial.
Lions May Lose Two Players
As reporter Tim Twentyman pointed out after the game, Campbell had a bad feeling about two players who went down.
“Dan Campbell expressed concern about Alim McNeill and Carlton Davis III’s injuries. “Thinks they could be season ending,” Twentyman wrote on X.
McNeill was ruled out of Sunday’s game due to a knee injury, while Davis was injured in the jaw at the start of the second half. Khalil Dorsey, the Lions’ cornerback, was also injured with what seemed to be a fractured leg, putting three crucial defensive players at risk.
Campbell said the team would know more after the players went through testing on Monday, but he struck a negative tone while speaking with 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 a blow to the playoff standing.
The Lions had a one-game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC’s top overall seed into Sunday’s game, but the clubs finished the day tied after the Lions lost to the Bills and the Eagles beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Lions lost after scoring 42 points in the NFL’s highest-scoring game of the season. Campbell accepted criticism after the game, claiming that his squad was simply not talented enough to compete with the AFC contender.
“Now we know where we stand against one of the AFC’s best teams,” Campbell told ESPN. “Today, that wasn’t good enough.”
The setback also prevented the Lions from regaining ground in the NFC North. The Minnesota Vikings have won six straight games to go to 11-2, and a win over the Chicago Bears on Monday night may tie them with the Lions.
