The Detroit Lions (12-2) lost their Week 15 game to the Buffalo Bills, and the news didn’t get any better as two of their best defensive players suffered serious injuries on Sunday.
Defensive tackle Alim McNeill tore his ACL in the loss, while cornerback Carlton Davis II fractured his jaw, Lions head coach Dan Campbell confirmed on Monday. McNeil’s season is over, while Davis is expected to undergo surgery and remain out indefinitely.
“Mac [McNeill] is out for the year,” Campbell said on Monday. “He has a knee injury that is going to require surgery. CD [Carlton Davis], he has a jaw [injury]. He’ll be out. Those guys helped us get to this point, so we owe it to them. They laid it on the line for us.”
These are just the latest in an absurd string of injuries that have afflicted Detroit’s defense. In addition to McNeill and Davis, Detroit has seen each of Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, John Cominsky, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Emmanuel Moseley and Ifeatu Melifonwu land on injured reserve already this season. And players like Levi Onwuzurike, D.J. Reader, Josh Paschal, Brian Branch and Terrion Arnold have each missed at least one game due to injury as well.
| Lions Player | Injury | Games Missed | IR? |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Cominsky | Torn MCL | 14 | Yes |
| Ifeatu Melifonwu | Ankle, Finger | 14 | Yes |
| Emmanuel Moseley | Torn pectoral | 13 | Returned |
| Marcus Davenport | Torn triceps | 12 | Yes |
| Derrick Barnes | Torn MCL and PCL | 11 | Yes |
| Aidan Hutchinson | Broken tibia and fibula | 9 | Yes |
| Jalen Reeves-Maybin | Neck | 8 | Yes |
| Ennis Rakestraw Jr. | Hamstring | 6 | Yes |
| Alex Anzalone | Broken arm | 5 | Yes |
| Malcolm Rodriguez | Torn ACL | 4 | Yes |
| Josh Paschal | Foot | 3 | No |
| D.J. Reader | Shoulder | 2 | No |
| Levi Onwzurike | Hamstring | 1 | No |
| Brian Branch | Concussion | 1 | No |
| Terrion Arnold | Groin | 1 | No |
| Carlton Davis | Broken jaw | 1 | TBD |
| Alim McNeill | Torn ACL | TBD | TBD |
| Khalil Dorsey | Fractured leg | TBD | TBD |
The Lions have for the most part been able to weather the storm despite all of the absences, but things snowballed on Sunday as the Bills repeatedly marched up and down the field, racking up 559 yards and 48 points. The team still looks like one of the top contenders in the NFC this season, thanks to its own marvelously efficient offense, but at a certain point, the defensive injuries may be too much to overcome — even with defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn coaxing strong performances out of his unit’s various injury replacements.
Down the stretch of the season, the Lions will have to rely even more on players like Reader, Onwuzurike and Pat O’Connor on the defensive interior, as well as Arnold, Amik Robertson and Kindle Vildor at corner. If and how they’re able to hold up in those spots will be one of the most important things to watch heading into the postseason.
