There is no denying that injuries can truly derail a team’s beliefs inside of the NFL, and we have seen plenty of this when it came to Detroit Lions in 2023. So goes the old adage that injuries are just a part of football. They can ruin game plans and disrupt team dynamics; testing your depth as a roster. It has hurt the Lions, a team that was counting on their injury luck continuing well and making a run toward contention.
Injuries to Key Players
That would be news that has been maddeningly common for the Detroit Lions so far in 2023, with several of their key offensive and defensive players winding up on the injury report throughout this season. Few big names up for awards, so let’s dig in:
Amon-Ra St. Brown: The Lions leading wide receiver has battled through injuries this season that have held him out of games. Not having him or using the Raider’s passing attack has hindered what Detroit can do to open up their offense and get vertical. St. Brown’s route running, hands and relationship with quarterback Jared Goff give him a crucial part in the offense for Detroit.
Also Read : Today’s Detroit Lions Injuries and Updates
David Montgomery: He has battled a host of injuries this season, as Pollard has done as well. Signed to be Detroit’s bell-cow, he will have missed multiple games this season. That would have come after the former Bears tailback took time off in two separate seasons due to injury and forced a heavy dosing of the rookie Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs has been decent in relief, but he doesn’t provide the power running style and veteran experience of Montgomery.
Jahmyr Gibbs: The freshman back has flashed at times, too, but he’s also been a little dinged up at times during camp. Gibbs is a dual-threat back that can make things happen as receiver out of the backfield, but his health and durability will dictate whether he remains an explosive weapon for Tech.
Ripple Effects of Injuries in Team Performance
When these key players go down with injury, the ripple effect has taken place throughout the entire team. The key players are out with injury: St. Brown, Montgomery, and now Gibbs! This forces the Lions to call different plays, since some of the top weapons on offense are not there to be utilized; thus, the team leans on more depth players that don’t have the same amount of experience or talent. That in turn can make the offense more predictable, and allow opposing defenses to do what they had done-well.
Adjustment: What the Lions Did
The usual take on injuries from the NFL team afflicted is “next-man up” and for the competitive Detroit Lions, it’s no different. That’s something Dan Campbell has preached to his team since the very beginning-from expected depth down to what has been termed as players knowing that they can be an injury away from stardom. That has been a huge factor in why Detroit could stick around in games where injuries happen.
The 2023 season has thrown a number of injuries the Detroit Lions way and tested their adaptability in Year One under new head coach. The Packers have survived without Rodgers, too, and the Lions are piecing together effective stretches despite their star players missing time or playing through injury. So, yes, injuries do suck, but they are part of the game, and how the Lions deal with them this week is going to go a long way in proving if Detroit can accomplish their goals for 2019.