The Detroit Lions secured a 24-6 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12, but the win was marred by several significant injuries. With a quick turnaround to face the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day, these injuries pose a real challenge for the team.
Wide receiver Kalif Raymond suffered a foot injury on a punt return, left tackle Taylor Decker injured his knee and ankle when he was tackled from behind during a Jared Goff sack, cornerback Carlton Davis sustained a left knee injury, and running back David Montgomery hurt his shoulder. Decker was the only one to return to the game, though Montgomery hinted he might have been able to continue playing.
During his Monday press conference, head coach Dan Campbell acknowledged the team’s injury concerns. “It’s really a day-to-day situation with some of these guys,” he said. “We’ll know more tomorrow, but it’s going to be close for a few of them. The biggest challenge is the short week. While most of these injuries don’t seem long-term, having just three days to recover makes it difficult.” Campbell reiterated the team’s “next man up” philosophy: “You’ve got to stay ready and do your job.”
When asked to specify which players were most likely to miss Thursday’s game, Campbell named Decker, Davis, Raymond, and also noted that Amon-Ra St. Brown was dealing with a knee injury, which occurred during a punt return after Raymond left the game.
In his Tuesday appearance on 97.1 The Ticket, Campbell shared a further update on the situation. Notably, he had not mentioned Montgomery on Monday, but acknowledged the running back’s uncertain status on Tuesday. Raymond appears to be the most likely to miss the game, while Decker, Davis, Montgomery, and St. Brown remain questionable as the team prepares for Thursday’s matchup.
