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The Detroit Lions witnessed the potential breakout of Kerby Joseph in Week 9, so it would only stand to reason that fans would see his departure with injury late in the game as another sign of a curse.
Fortunately, that particular curse seems to be averted for now. As a new week gets set to begin on the field, Joseph figures to be back in the mix and on the field, having progressed well through his concussion protocol. At this point, it doesn’t seem as Dan Campbell has any reason to think he will be out of the game assuming everything progresses.
Speaking on Friday, November 11, Campbell told reporters including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, about the status of Joseph, and the news was positive.
“Kerby Joseph has progressed through concussion protocol, will be full go in practice today. If everything checks out, should play Sunday,” Birkett tweeted during the presser.
For the Lions, this is huge news. Joseph has come on arguably the strongest of any rookie in the last few weeks, and if he were to be out long-term, it would have been a big dent for the team’s already struggling defense.
Hurt on a hard crunch from cornerback Jeff Okudah, Joseph left the game in the fourth quarter, but has made progress this week. At this point, it seems that he will be on track for a return.
Joseph Enjoyed Biggest Game Sunday
Indeed, the rookie out of Illinois had himself another big day with takeaways in Week 9, and continued a theme of making some big plays when the ball comes in his kitchen.
Joseph was playing defense for the Lions in the first half against Aaron Rogers, and was the lucky beneficiary of an erratic pass which deflected into the air and then into his arms.
Later on, Joseph made another pick of a Rodgers pass, and was dominating on the day for the Lions. He would leave late and go into concussion protocol, but the damage was done by the star defender. It was another impressive day for the rookie.
Joseph looks very comfortable in the league with heads-up plays such as this, and is gaining in confidence as his first season moves forward. It helps that he remains as humble as they come in terms of his mindset before and after the game.
Joseph Huge Piece for Lions vs. Bears
In terms of his importance for this game, there is simply no doubting how much Joseph’s return would mean to the team for this particular matchup.
So far, Joseph has prided himself on not only laying the wood and creating fumbles, but ballhawking as well. With a quarterback like Justin Fields that can distribute the ball and hurt teams with his legs, it will be vital for the Lions to have a quality center fielder capable of covering some ground in the middle of the field.
Minus Joseph, the Lions did a decent job in the late stages of Week 9. Reserve safety C.J. Moore came up with a nice pass breakup on fourth down and showed he can step in, but certainly, the Lions will be happier having Joseph back in the mix for the team to continue his growth on the field.
As thoughts push toward the health of players for Week 10 vs. Chicago, it seems Joseph remains in decent position for the team.
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