The Detroit Lions are battling in a tough contest against the Minnesota Vikings, and have sustained some damage early on in that game to some very important players.
The Lions saw running back Kerryon Johnson and cornerback Darius Slay go down in the first half of action. The group was quickly joined by defensive tackle Damon Harrison, who was rolled up and hurt as well.
The official diagnosis on Johnson and Slay is that they are questionable to return, but Johnson was said to be walking with a bulky brace on the sideline, meaning he is probably not going to return to acton any time soon on the day.
This duo going down is tough news for the Lions to swallow early in a very important game for the team against an NFC North rival in the Vikings. But they are far from the only ones who are dinged up in what’s been a physical game thus far between the sides.
Johnson’s Injury
In the early part of his career, Johnson has suffered from knee trouble, missing the end of the 2018 season thanks to the troublesome knee. He returned in 2019 and had been playing well for the team and avoiding trouble with injury so far. While he hadn’t scored many touchdowns so far this season, he was playing a big role for the team giving them a major boost in the backfield and helping out the offense.
If Johnson is gone for any length of time, it’s not as if the Lions have tons of depth behind him. Rookie Ty Johnson and pass catcher J.D. McKissic are the two best options on the team, meaning the Lions might have to consider something for the future. They can ill-afford not having a solid rusher for their offense.
Slay’s Injury
Slay has gone down with what is classified as a hamstring injury, and that’s something which has plagued him coming into this week. Slay had the injury in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and missed the game a few weeks back against Kansas City with the same problem. He played relatively well on Monday Night Football, but could not shake things off in time to be completely healthy when he was back on the field for a second time in a week. The short week may have hurt him in a big way for this game.
The Lions have survived a Slay injury before with Justin Coleman playing well, but obviously, the team needs Slay to be able to play at a very high level.
Other Injuries
Detroit also saw some other names go down at other points in the first half. Linebacker Jarrad Davis was hobbled in addition to linebacker Jahlani Tavai. Both of those guys played after the trouble. Detroit also saw defensive tackle Damon Harrison limp off the field with a groin injury, and he has been listed as questionable to return to the game, but might not figure to make a quick return.
Add it up and it’s been a costly first half for the Lions, who will have to battle hard to overcome some of their biggest injuries in order to catch a key divisional win.
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Lions Injury Update: Three Stars Go Down in First Half