Getty Jarrad Davis after a 2018 game.
The Detroit Lions’ injury riddled 2019 season keeps progressing in the wrong direction. Saturday, the team placed two more players on injured reserve effectively ending their season.
Linebacker Jarrad Davis and offensive lineman Joe Dahl were the latest players to be hitting injured reserve, and in their place, Detroit added running back Wes Hills and offensive lineman Dan Skipper to the roster.
Both Davis and Dahl were fighting injures this week and were not looking likely to be able to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now that the duo has been sat down, they won’t be playing at all the rest of the way, which is a hit for Detroit’s depth at key spots on the offense and defense.
Jarrad Davis Lions’ Stats
Davis always brings it on the field, and that’s something he has done since he played in college with the Florida Gators. Known as one of the best tacklers and leaders in his class, Davis has all the tools to be a fixture in Detroit as he has shown with his aggressive play. He’s going to be a fan favorite for his never say die attitude for years to come.
At times, Davis can be his own worst enemy in terms of the things he does on the field in pursuit and in coverage, but more often than not, his speed and passion is a major advantage for him. This year, Davis has been best at rushing the passer. He’s put up 62 tackles and 2 sacks this season.
Earlier this season, Davis was excited when the Lions started 2-1-1 and looked to be turning over a new leaf, something which he said.
“In a sense we’re kind of like a newly seeded plant in a way. We’re starting to blossom a little bit. We got to keep watering, we got to keep giving ourself that light. We have to keep making sure that we are paying attention to things that are going to help us grow and get better,” Davis told the media a few months back.
Davis was around in 2018 for what became a struggle amid a frustrating 6-10 season on the field, and as he said, it’s been somewhat a shift in mindset and motivation which has led to Detroit’s turnaround on the field early in the 2019 season, as well as cleaning up some of the small details which prevented the Lions from having more overwhelming success.
Davis coming back and playing through pain shows the type of leadership he exhibits, even though his season is now likely over.
Joe Dahl’s Lions Stats
Dahl has been more of a backup for the Lions since being a fifth round draft pick of the team in 2016 out of Washington State. He’s played well at guard this season and has been a key part of the rotation. While Dahl hasn’t been a starter for the team, he’s managed to play in plenty of games and do a nice job at guard.
Now that Dahl sits down, the Lions will have to continue to use other players in their rotation at guard to get by.