Getty D'Andre Swift celebrates after a 2020 touchdown in Atlanta.
The Detroit Lions are getting set to get back on the field for Week 14 after a huge win over the weekend, and as they set their sights toward the Green Bay Packers, they are beginning to think about health as well.
Detroit has been very dinged up the last few weeks, but it seems things are beginning to take a more positive turn as Week 14 gets underway and pushes to a close. The Lions are still dealing with health problems, but the team is starting to turn things around a bit as they push through toward the end of their season. This week, there looks to be the return of a key cog in the offense.
How does the inactive report look ahead of Sunday’s game? Here’s a look at who is in and out as kickoff pushes ever closer.
Lions Inactives Week 14
Obviously, the Lions hate to see Golladay, Crosby and Okudah miss practice at all and it’s too bad they will miss another week even as Golladay seemed more primed for a return than he ever has been. Nice to see Johnson return in full fashion. Those are three key players for their offense and defense. Better news seems to be coming for some guys who haven’t been healthy either lately in Bryant and Hand. Swift continues to try and push back following his concussion and subsequent illness, and it’s nice to see him back on the field and in for Sunday.
Lions-Packers Primer
Green Bay won the game in September convincingly after a slow start, and has now won three games in the rivalry and has wrestled back control from the grips of the Lions, who had been on a nice winning streak in the years prior.
Before last season, Detroit had gone two full years without sustaining a loss to the Packers, which is quite an accomplishment when you consider the series history of the teams. In fact, before last year’s first loss by Detroit, the number of days since the Packers beat the Lions had become gaudy and was up over 1,000. Arguably, it’s the best Lions fans have been able to feel about this particular rivalry considering the 103-72-7 mark historically in the Packers’ favor.
This matchup suddenly means a lot for the playoff race. The Lions are 5-7 and trying to claw back in the race, while the Packers are 9-3 and trying to put away the NFC North as well as make a run at a top seed. Given the Green Bay contest, the soft part of Detroit’s schedule is now complete and the Lions now are set to play teams with solid records over the next three weeks. That starts with the Packers this week.
Though health is certainly not completely on Detroit’s side, the team figures to have plenty of hungry players ready to go for this key NFC North rivalry and could have even more Sunday afternoon.