The Lions won a hard-fought game at Ford Field today, handing the Minnesota Vikings their first loss of the season. However, the injury toll hit the team badly against the divisional rival. Among the injured Lions players was the rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder. He was injured in a violent collision with teammate and fellow linebacker Jack Campbell.
LB Jimmy Rolder, Hamstring, Questionable
The Lions also officially announced that Rolder suffered a hamstring injury during the collision with Jack Campbell, and he was questionable for the game. However, it was not clear whether the injury was serious. On the other hand, Campbell suffered a severe neck injury and was taken to the local medical facility.
How Jimmy Rolder Injury Happened
Early in the fourth quarter of the game, Vikings QB Kyler Murray threw a pass to the tight end T.J. Hockenson. When the TE turned upfield, the Lions LB duo, Jimmy Rolder and Jack Campbell, came flying towards him to make a tackle. While the pass was completed, the tackle proved to be costly.
Instead of hitting the tight end, the two stars made contact, causing two potentially serious injuries. After the hit, both players remained flat on their stomachs. After being down, the rookie eventually got up on his own, but it wasn’t the case for Campbell, who lay motionless on the ground before being carted off the field.
While the injury was unfortunate, the rookie delivered a strong performance before leaving the field. He recorded 5 total tackles, including 2 solo, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, and 1 sack. He recorded the first sack of his NFL career in the third quarter.
As Murray dropped back, the rookie matched the deep routes, cutting the Vikings players to hit the sack. Had he stayed longer in the field, his numbers would have been more impressive. Nevertheless, he logged the most tackles in the game, while Skyler Gill-Howard and Alim McNeil were the other defensive players to get sacks today.
The Lions would be delighted to get the job done, taking the season record to 5-2. The growing list of injuries coming out of today’s game would be a headache for Dan Campbell.
Lions’ Injury Woes Extend Beyond Campbell And Rolder After Vikings Clash
Besides the devastating neck injury of Jack Campbell and the hamstring injury of Jimmy Rolder, several Lions players suffered different injuries throughout the game, which is why the 19-15 victory showed the team’s grit and determination.
Campbell and Rolder were not the only “friendly fire” collision in the game. The first one happened between safety Brian Branch & DE DJ Wonnum while breaking up a pass to wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Both players had head-to-head contact, leading to concussions. While the DE was carted off the field, Branch walked off the field on his own, and both were ruled out of the game.
Shortly after the Rodler and Campbell incident, cornerback D.J. Reed had a hip issue, forcing him out of the game. Besides the defensive stars, the injuries also impacted the offensive players.
The offensive tackle Cade Mays suffered an ankle injury, which ruled him out of the game, as he was carried straight to the locker room. Jacob Saylors dealt with a neck injury, which ruled him out for the rest of the game.
Lions Give Injury Update on Jimmy Rolder After Collision With Jack Campbell