After narrowly defeating reigning SB champions Kansas City Chiefs, the Detroit Lions are in high spirits. Things might have turned out differently if the Chiefs TE Kelce was playing. Currently, the 8x Pro Bowler is out due to a hyper-extended knee injury. Over at the Lions camp, things are not all right as well as 4 players are down with various injuries.
Tyler Kelce’s absence might have helped the Lions clinch a 1-point victory over the Chiefs. However, for their upcoming match against the Seahawks, the Lions will have to take stock of their inventory and make adjustments to their lineup as some key players are still recovering.
Taylor Decker’s surprise appearance on the injury report
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Offensive Tackle Taylor Decker seemingly emerged unscathed out of the match against the Chiefs. Post-match, however, he was spotted in a walking boot. Head coach Dan Campbell had revealed that he had an ankle issue early in the game, but still played on. The injury report released by the Lions has confirmed the worst.
Decker DNP in the practice because of an ankle injury. It is too soon to overreact to the news, and he might well bounce back before the next game. This was not Decker’s first time playing with an injury. The formidable OT played at the start of the 2020 season with appendicitis.
The second player listed on the report is DB Khalil Dorsey. Dorsey had himself injured TE Shane Zylstra during practice. He lamented at having caused a season-ending injury to his teammate and now he’s out, for the time being himself. The official reason for his absence has been reported as illness.
DB Emmanuel Moseley is yet to play for the Lions since he was signed up over from the San Francisco 49ers. He had been recuperating from a knee injury and now he seems to have added a hamstring injury as well. Lions Center Frank Ragnow has been dealing with a persistent toe injury over the last 2 years. He participated in the practice session and it is likely that he might be on his track to play for the Lions in future matches.
Possible options for the Lion’s starting lineup against the Seahawks
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The Seahawks camp has casualties as well. Right Tackle Abraham Lucas has been dealing with a knee issue while Left Tackle Charles Cross was carted off the game after he sprained his toe. Fans were hoping the injuries were not severe enough to keep them from playing against the Lions. Head coach Pete Carroll, however, indicated that they might not be playing after all.
The Detroit Lions will host the Seattle Seahawks in their home opener on Sunday at Ford Field Stadium. They might now have to choose between assigning Matt Nelson or Halapoulivaati Vaitai to take Decker’s place. All in all, the reports suggest that the Seattle Seahawks have lost more because of injuries than the Detroit Lions. Other than Taylor Decker, the other three have been habitual offenders, while for the Seahawks the inclusion of both core players is a surprise.
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Nothing can be predicted at this stage yet and victory can be claimed by either team. The Seahawks definitely need this more, especially after their 13-30 battering at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams.