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DETROIT — They’ve waited generations around here for a team like this – rich with talent, armed with creativity and boasting a blistering offense. For the first time ever you could say “Detroit” and “Super Bowl” in the same sentence and not elicit laughter.
And that was before an 11-game winning streak got them to 12-1 on the season heading into Sunday.
Except here in Week 15, in a 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the familiar, if haunting, sight of the Lions injury cart kept making appearance after appearance to haul away defensive players.
Already riddled with injuries, with a two-deep scotch-taped together with fill-ins, this is the recurring nightmare of an otherwise dream season.
First, cornerback Carlton Davis III was lost to a jaw injury and didn’t return.
Then cornerback Khalil Dorsey was carted off with an ankle injury that looked brutal.
Then there was defensive lineman Alim McNeill, a key cog who had just returned from a concussion, hobbling off the field, into the blue tent and then onto the cart with a knee injury.
“I don’t feel good about either of those guys [Dorsey and McNeill],” coach Dan Campbell said. “Normally, if I’m saying ‘not good’ it’s not good for the rest of the year.”
Forget losing the game. It happens and Buffalo is a big-time team with its own Super Bowl aspirations.
It was what was lost that matters. Again.
“No, I’m not buying, I don’t buy it,” said Campbell of the defensive injuries costing the Lions the game. “We can be better. We should have been better. We know how good they are but we should have been more urgent.”
Dan Campbell isn’t making an excuse out of the Lions’ absurd amount of injuries on defense, but at some point it’s a fair one. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
Campbell is a no-excuse guy. He’s repeatedly said injuries are part of the deal and the job is for anyone on the field to be good enough and prepared enough to perform. It’s what you’d want and expect him to…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/lions-injuries-are-becoming-recurring-nightmare-in-otherwise-dream-season-020417086.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-12-16 02:04:00
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