Detroit Lions rookie right tackle Blake Miller played in every snap in the Lions’ 31-30 overtime win against the New Orleans Saints. However, after 77 snaps in his NFL debut, the former first-round pick emerged on the injury report with a knee injury.
Head coach Dan Campbell gave the rookie a chance to play in Week 2, although he acknowledged the team playing a short week does not help his chances. The rookie understands that playing on Thursday will not make playing easier, but he made it clear that he is attacking practice this week as if he will be out there.
“Short week, long week, it doesn’t matter,” said Miller. “I’m doing everything I humanly can to get my body feeling the best it can feel. Even with the progress just today that I’ve made, I’m happy, and I’m optimistic.”
“Even with the progress just today that I’ve made, I’m happy and I’m optimistic.”
Miller noted that he is unsure exactly when the injury occurred, mostly because the adrenaline of the game had him unsure how serious it was. He noted that once the adrenaline wore off, he made sure to begin recovering.
“Just kind of one of those things: you come off after a drive, something feels a little weird, you get home, the adrenaline wears off, and you start to notice it a little more,” said Miller. “So I tried to come in as early as I could today to get on top of it.”
Miller was listed as a Did Not Participate in practice. If he does not start, the team will lean on veteran Larry Borom.
Detroit Lions Blake Miller is Pushing to Play Week 2
Despite being dinged at some point, Miller was excellent in his NFL debut. He allowed just one pressure on 41 pass-block attempts. He finished with a 78.4 grade in pass protection, per PFF. This is well above average.
He also had a 69.3 run blocking grade, which is above average as well. Overall, he finished with a grade of 74.7.
Miller noted that he was not focused on his technique as much as he was on his mentality when it came to his NFL debut.
“Technique aside, just tried to play with effort every play, physically every play, and I felt pretty happy with that,” said Miller. “Just like any game, any practice, there are things I want to clean up and get better at.”
Miller brought a smart mentality. Rookies can focus too hard on the exact right placement or technique, and they start to play slow. He knew that as a rookie he would make his mistakes, but as long as he played hard, he could overcome them.
Three Starting Linemen on Lions Injury Report
Unfortunately for Detroit, Miller is not the only offensive line injury to monitor. Starting left guard Christian Mahogany left after 11 snaps due to a hip injury. He missed practice as well and is less likely to play than Miller. The team will likely start Ben Bartch in his place.
Juice Scruggs was also listed as limited with a knee injury. His status on Tuesday will be worth monitoring. Of the three, he is the most likely to play.
Lions Rookie Sends Strong Message After Injury Scare