Lions’ Alim McNeill Speaks Out on Potential Week 18 Return

Getty Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill sent a message on his potential Week 18 return.

The Detroit Lions may have struggled to cover Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb in Week 17. But overall, the Lions defense performed better than any other opposing defense at AT&T Stadium this season.

The Lions should gain a lot of confidence from that fact. Making things even better, defensive reinforcements are on the way.

Both defensive tackle Alim McNeill and cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson could return against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18.

Gardner-Johnson has provided nearly biweekly social media updates on his pectoral injury recovery progress. Clearly, he’s itching to return.

But so is McNeill, who conveyed how great he feels to reporters on January 3.

“I’ve just been sitting for four weeks. Just lifting upper body. Squatting. So, I really feel like I just came out of the offseason in a way,” McNeill told the media. “I feel really, really, really good. I don’t feel it when I’m in this (brace), so it’s kinda a wonderful situation.

“But I feel really good. Really refreshed. All I’ve been doing, the first two weeks, all I could do was sleep and eat. I got back my sleep and whatever from those past trips and stuff like that, so I’m good. Super good.”

McNeill has missed the past four games because of a knee injury. But he is eligible to return from injured reserve for the regular season finale.

Lions’ Dan Campbell Refers to Alim McNeill as ‘Fresh’

During his January 3 press conference, Lions head coach Dan Campbell expressed a similar message as McNeill. It may be Week 18, but it won’t be for McNeill if he is back on the field.

“You always, this time of year, for him, it’s going to kind of feel like Game 1 again,” Campbell said. “He’s going to — he’ll be fresh, have fresh legs and a fresh energy about him, so it’s good.”

McNeill will be returning to a little bit different looking Lions defensive line. In the first few days of the new year, Detroit waived fellow defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs and practice squad defensive end Bruce Irvin.

Furthermore, veteran defensive tackle Tyson Alualu made his Lions debut in Week 17. Alualu remains on Detroit’s practice squad, but he played more than half of the team’s defensive snaps against the Cowboys.

That makes him a strong candidate to play again as a practice squad elevation in Week 18.

“Doing it with Tyson is going to be really easy, because he’s been here — He’s been in the league forever,” McNeill told reporters. “He’s been in the league forever. You know, he’s teaching me and I’m learning new things from him every second of every day that I’ve been back. It shouldn’t be hard.”

How Badly Has the Lions Pass Rush Missed McNeill?

The Lions pass rush has been inconsistent this season with and without McNeill. Interestingly, Detroit had its best pass rush from a sack perspective without McNeill the past four games.

But that doesn’t mean the Lions don’t need the 23-year-old to return.

McNeill is second on the team with 5 sacks and 33 pressures. He is also second among Detroit defensive linemen with 6 tackles for loss and 9 quarterback hits.

The Lions have 17 defenders who have recorded a sack this season. But other than McNeill, Aidan Hutchinson is the only Detroit pass rusher with more than 3 sacks.

Getting McNeill back in the lineup will prevent opposing offenses from dedicating two blockers to Hutchinson on every passing play in the playoffs.

“It’s going to be good to get him back,” Campbell said on January 3. “I know he’s looking forward to it just like we are. So he’s excited, and he’ll get some work again here for us. And yeah, he’s excited, and so I think it’ll be good.