Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions (4-2) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) were back on the practice field on Friday, getting some more work in ahead of their upcoming showdown on “Monday Night Football.” After returning Taylor Decker to practice on Thursday, the Lions were able to return Terrion Arnold on Friday, and while things are looking up, it’s still unknown if either will play on Monday.
Let’s take a look at the latest injury report and get you up to date with what we know. Note: Any changes from the last injury report will be bolded.
Vaki has missed nearly four weeks of practice, and at this point, it’s probably safe to rule him out of this upcoming game as well. We’ll see if he is among the many that are expected to return after the Lions’ Week 8 bye.
Maddox was spotted working with trainers on Thursday, but since he is not expected to play on Monday, no practice was anticipated for Friday. The hope is that he could return after the Lions’ bye.
Joseph has been noticeably operating below his potential during games, as his knee injury has kept him from practicing for the last few weeks. He’s still managed to play through the pain on game days, and while that remains the expectation again this week, you have to wonder how long he can hold up.
Decker getting in back-to-back practices is a terrific sign that he is on the right path, but it’s still not clear if that path includes an option for him to play on Monday, or if he will continue to rest and try and get this injury behind him. We should get an update from Lions coach Dan Campbell on Saturday, during his final press conference before Monday night’s game.
Reader sat out Thursday’s practice with a new back injury, but was back on the practice field on Friday, suggesting he was given some time off to allow his back to recover a bit—something most people over 30 years old can empathize with when it comes to their back.
Arnold went from “possible season-ending injury” to returning to practice a week and a half later in the blink of an eye. On Thursday, Campbell said Arnold was expected to miss this upcoming game, but this return opens the door for either a quick return after the bye or an outside chance of him playing on Monday. An update from Campbell on Saturday is in order.
McNeill is expected to be removed from PUP this week, added to the active roster, and play against the Bucs...
