Getty Linebacker Alex Anzalone of the Detroit Lions pushes running back Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers out of bounds during the third quarter in the game at Lambeau Field on September 28, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
After losing two of their top defensive backs, the Detroit Lions could be facing another big injury to their linebacking corps.
Alex Anzalone was forced to leave the team’s Thanksgiving loss to the Green Bay Packers with a hand/wrist injury, and head coach Dan Campbell said on November 27 that he could be missing some time.
“Alex could be a little bit, that’s possible. Kerby (Joseph) should be good,” Campbell told reporters, via SI.com. “Jonah (Jackson), I’m assuming Jonah’s not playing until he tells me he’s playing, and then I’ll know. Other than that, we’ll see.”
The injury could be a costly setback for the Lions, who struggled to contain the Packers in the November 23 loss and have already been hit hard by injuries.
Big Setback for Lions
As Kyle Meinke of MLive.com noted, the loss of Anzalone could deal a significant blow to a Lions defense that has been among the league’s worst in recent weeks.
“Anzalone has become one of the leaders of the defense during his three-year stint in Detroit, and has played progressively better every season,” Meinke wrote. “He racked up a career-high 125 tackles last year, which earned him a handsome three-year, $18.3 million contract over the offseason.”
Meinke added that Anzalone has played “better than ever” since moving to his natural weak-side linebacker position this season. He has 87 tackles through 11 games this season, which had put him on pace for a career-high before the injury. Anzalone already set his career high with three sacks and nine quarterback hits this season.
Meinke added that Anzalone had earned some big praise from linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard a few weeks ago.
“I’ve been telling y’all this, and I know you think it’s just because I coach him, but I’ve been seeing this, man, and the value he has in our defense,” Sheppard said of Anzalone. “And this year, now he has some troops out there with him that can handle the verbal communication, can handle the checks as well, so now on certain downs, it allows Alex to just do his thing and go play. And when that player is just allowed to do his thing, I’ll put him up there with any player in the league, as far as being athletically gifted, as far as being able to match him up one-on-one.”
The Lions already lost two key veterans and major offseason acquisitions earlier in the season when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a torn pectoral and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley suffered a torn ACL. Both were placed on injured reserve.
Lions Face Key Test
After the loss to the Packers dropped the Lions to 8-3, tied with the San Francisco 49ers and two games behind the Philadelphia Eagles for first place in the NFC, Detroit faces a key test this week. They travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints, with Heavy projections powered by Quarter4 giving the Lions a 62% win probability.
The Lions still hold a lead atop the NFC North, putting them on pace to host their first playoff game in nearly three decades.