Detroit Lions lineman Penei Sewell was hurt in the team’s Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Vikings, going down in the second quarter before returning just before halftime.
Sewell was hurt with the Lions driving in the red zone with just more than five minutes remaining in the first half and the Lions trailing 7-0. Sewell was hit from behind by another blocker as Jahmyr Gibbs ran for a three-yard gain, needing help from the team’s medical staff to get off the field.
The Lions face a do-or-die stretch, needing to win out and get some help in order to return to the playoffs for a third straight season.
Lions Offensive Tackle Able to Return
Despite being down for a long stretch and needing help off the field, Sewell was able to return to the game before halftime on a critical fourth-down play.
The team may need to monitor his injury down the final stretch, but it appears that Sewell avoided what would have been a worst-case scenario. The Lions have already suffered a series of injuries, especially in the secondary where the team lost several starters to long-term injuries.
Sewell is an important part of Detroit’s offense, strong in both run blocking and pass protection. He earned a fourth consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl this year and has earned All-Pro honors in each of the last two seasons.
The Lions tied the game at 7-7 just before halftime on a touchdown pass to rookie Isaas TeSlaa. The team had otherwise struggled on offense, with Gibbs being stymied on the ground and finishing the first half with just 28 yards rushing.
Lions Enter Desperate Stretch
The Lions fell to 8-7 with last week’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the first time the team dropped back-to-back games in more than three years. Detroit now has only one path to the playoffs, and it’s a narrow one — they need two wins and two losses from the Green Bay Packers.
After last week’s loss, head coach Dan Campbell stressed the importance of finishing the season strong.
“It’s frustrating. We just lost two in a row,” Campbell said, via the team’s official website. “I know we got two left and I just want to see us finish, man. I just want to finish our style of football with two to go, man. Try to play four straight quarters of good football. Clean football. Efficient football. That’s what I want to do.”
Quarterback Jared Goff said the final two games will be a test of the team’s character.
“Find out who we are character-wise,” Goff said. “Find out what we’re made of. We know the percentages and what not, but we’re not eliminated. We know we need some things to go our way but find out who we are and see if we can win these last two and see if we can get it and we’ll be dangerous if we can.”
The Lions already lost out on a chance to win their third straight division title, but would still be eligible to grab the final wild-card spot.
Penei Sewell Injury Update: Key Lions OL Hurt in Christmas Game