The season just started, but things may already be reaching a critical stage for the Detroit Lions. After dropping the first game of the season to the Green Bay Packers, the Lions will host an old friend as former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson comes to town with the Chicago Bears.
With Johnson promising to come to Detroit with a bag of tricks, the Lions need to be running on all systems to avoid a 0-2 start. But injuries have already gotten in the way just a few months after they derailed their season.
The injury crisis along the offensive line is the biggest issue, as Jamarco Jones was ruled out for the season with an ankle injury. While the news probably precedes the elevation of Dan Skipper from the practice squad, the Lions got more bad news when Taylor Decker revealed he has been dealing with an injury while speaking with reporters.
Taylor Decker’s Injury Puts Giovanni Manu into the Fire Ahead of Week 2
According to Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit, Decker told reporters that he’s dealing with an undisclosed injury. While Decker added that he’ll “hopefully” play against the Bears, he did not practice and was listed with a shoulder injury on the team’s official report, which could put extra pressure on the offensive line.
Detroit’s effort in the trenches was one of the most disappointing aspects of last week’s loss to the Packers as they were pushed around by a rebuilt defensive front. Micah Parsons drew the headlines with a pair of pressures and a sack on 23 pass-rushing snaps, but the Packers were in the backfield all afternoon long as Jared Goff was pressured on 37.2% of his dropbacks according to Pro Football Focus.
The struggles of Tate Ratledge in his first career start were also a concern, but Decker’s injury could put some heat on second-year offensive tackle Giovanni Manu.
Manu was a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft but didn’t play a game during his rookie season. He made his NFL debut in last week’s loss to the Packers but played just three snaps on the Lions’ field goal unit. With no pass reps in a game, Manu would be a target for the Bears if Decker isn’t able to play, but the veteran gave his understudy a vote of confidence after training with him this offseason.
“He’s a young player that – he’s trying to improve, but he’s also trying to improve against two werewolves out there (Lions defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport),” Hutchinson told Colton Pouncy of The Athletic during training camp. “There’s gonna be some growing pains.”
Manu may not be going out there with silver bullets on Sunday, but he may have to run out with a lucky charm if Decker can’t go. Since 1990, only 32 of 279 teams that started 0-2 have gone on to make the playoffs, and that task could get much harder if the Lions' offensive line continues to be a work in progress.
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