The Detroit Lions are heading into one of their most difficult games of the season, facing the Buffalo Bills at home on Sunday, December 15. While the Lions are coming off a victory over the Green Bay Packers on December 5, they’ve also been dealing with several injuries, which were noticeable during the Packers game.
However, on Wednesday, December 11, the Detroit Lions received encouraging news for their matchup with the Bills, which should significantly aid their chances.
Several Detroit Lions Players Are Back
The Lions’ practice report for Wednesday, December 11, shows that offensive tackle Taylor Decker and defensive tackle Alim McNeill were full participants. It also lists defensive linemen Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal as limited participants, with DJ Reader still marked as a non-participant.
It’s certainly good news to see Decker and McNeill fully participating, and Onwuzurike and Paschal as limited participants. Even better, there are no new injuries to report. This suggests that the Lions won’t face any unexpected setbacks heading into their game against the Bills.
Onwuzurike, Paschal, and Reader all missed the Green Bay game, so having them return would be a positive. Decker, who has been sidelined for the past two games with a knee injury, is also back. All 53 players on the Lions’ roster were present in practice on Wednesday, which is a good sign.
Head coach Dan Campbell spoke with reporters about the injury status of the team before practice on Wednesday, offering updates on the players’ conditions and their prospects for playing.
“Levi’s going to be down but he’s going to practice tomorrow,” Campbell explained. “That’s not a negative. Mac will be out there today. Paschal may run around, we’ll see what he’s got. And then Reader, if anything changes, it’ll be tomorrow.”
Fans are also eager to see Aidan Hutchinson and Alex Anzalone back on the field, though both remain on injured reserve.
Buffalo Bills Injuries Ahead of Detroit Lions Game
On the Buffalo Bills’ side, USA Today’s injury report from December 11 indicates that the Bills are in relatively good health heading into the game against the Lions.
“The Bills’ report consists mainly of full practices (FP), and a few key pass catchers are returning, including Dalton Kincaid and Keon Coleman,” noted expert Jimmy Liao, MD. “Additionally, they are bringing back Baylon Spector and Dawuane Smoot from IR, both of whom are eligible to play this weekend.”
However, Liao pointed out some concerns in the Bills’ secondary with Rasul Douglas and Taylor Rapp.
As for the Lions, regarding Decker, Liao expressed confidence in his return for the weekend game.
“A suspected right MCL and high or medial ankle sprain on November 24 had kept him out for two games,” Liao stated. “The full participation (FP) indicates he should play this weekend.”
Liao also added that he expects Reader to miss another game before being fully healthy and noted that Onwuzurike has a “good chance” of playing on Sunday.
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