DETROIT --The Detroit Lions head into the bye week riding high after a big-time win over a fellow NFC heavyweight in primetime action.
Detroit is 5-2 entering its well-deserved week off after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 24-9, on Monday night. They are right on the heels of the Green Bay Packers (4-1-1) in the NFC North standings and for the conference’s top seed.
While the Lions have already lost as many games as they did last year (!). Their only blemishes are on the road against the Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.
“Just focusing on the moment you’re in. Like hey man, you’ve got this, you’re going to clean it up and then you got five days off,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said of the mentality against the Bucs. “Give us all you got and cut it loose, which our guys do every game. I just think, ‘Hey man, you aren’t saving anything you do,’ but it’s that little extra, you know what’s on the horizon. It’s a little clear the mind and let the body heal a little bit and get right for the last push.
“The big push will be here. We get the divisional opponents, 10 (games) until the playoffs, then it’s on. It feels good to get to 5-2. I’m pleased with the team. Are there things to clean up? Yeah, there is.”
Detroit’s offense left points on the board, feeling like it had multiple chances to blow that game open. Other than that, there isn’t much to feel bad about coming out of the win against the Buccaneers.
Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs finally had his breakout game, accounting for 200-plus scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. And the defense set the dominating tone out of the gates, forcing Tampa Bay into a one-dimensional attack, creating unrelenting pressure and keeping everything in front of them.
When considering all of the injuries thrown their way to this point, the Lions have every right to be feeling great. They masterfully patched holes in the secondary against the Bucs and saw the return of one of their main defensive pieces in Alim McNeill.
McNeill and left tackle Taylor Decker also got to knock off the rust before getting the well-timed week off. It was the first game for McNeill in 10 months, and the first in three weeks for Decker.
The road ahead doesn’t get much easier, with the Minnesota Vikings and back-to-back road games against the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles awaiting them after the bye.
Campbell is instilled with optimism about all the pieces working their way back to rejoin them on the push to the playoffs. The Lions were saved by a makeshift secondary on Monday, but they should have a more familiar unit the next time we see them.
Brian Branch will return after serving his one-game suspension. The Lions are confident Kerby Joseph’s knee injury will calm down after the bye, with some help from the extra time off this past week.
Top cornerback D.J. Reed is eligible to return in Week 10 against the Commanders. Terrion Arnold hopes to return in the first game after the bye. Arnold returned to practice last week. Avonte Maddox has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, and the team playing it safe with the veteran defensive back.
On top of those names working back, the Lions expect to see linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and edge rusher Marcus Davenport before too long. Rodriguez has a chance to return to practice after the bye week. And while Davenport might need a little more time to return, he is expected back.
The Lions are also waiting on former second-round edge defender Josh Paschal to return to practice. Paschal has been on the non-football injury list since camp opened. He still faces an uncertain return timeline, as it’s been a recovery filled with delays. The Lions hoped he would rejoin them at practice after camp, but that still hasn’t happened.
Still, it’s a firm reminder that these Lions have been filling spots all over the place. Pass rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad has enjoyed a breakout season with Davenport and Paschal out of the lineup on the other side of Aidan Hutchinson.
And Amik Robertson and a group of journeymen, castoffs and new faces have lifted the load in the secondary throughout the first seven games.
“The good news is that we are going to start to get a lot of players back,” Campbell said. “You are going to see players start to come back over the next month, so that is encouraging.
“While we are only getting better and better, we are going to start getting some of our players back, too.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.