The Lions got back on track as they routed the Bears 52-21. Almost everything went right except for…
They ran plumb out of touchdown celebrations midway through the 3rd quarter
Jared Goff somehow couldn’t manage to clear a 4-foot wall for a Ford Field leap
And once promising rookie, Isaac TeSlaa, had the worst catch of his career
Everything is also looking good from a health standpoint two weeks into the season. While there were many minor dings throughout the Bears game, the team appeared to avoid anything major. The biggest concern coming out of the game is Marcus Davenport.
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When you look around the league, you are reminded that health should never be taken for granted as there have already been multiple injuries to upcoming opponent QB’s:
Joe Burrow (turf toe, 3+ months), Bengals – Week 5
JJ McCarthy (high ankle sprain, 2-4 weeks), Vikings – Week 9
Jayden Daniels (knee sprain, up to 1-2 weeks), Commanders – Week 10
Here are the injuries from the game along with Dan Campbell comments on Monday.
Shane Zylstra – right ankle sprain, 1q 8:28
Zylstra had his ankle trapped in external rotation which can cause a high ankle sprain or a medial ankle sprain. He did not return to the game. Depending on severity, this could easily be a multi-week injury, which makes IR (injured reserve) a possibility.
Marcus Davenport – ankle, 2q 10:41
On initial look, this was concerning for an injury to the left elbow or shoulder. It’s the same left elbow for which he had a triceps rupture last season.
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Fortunately, the official listing was an ankle injury. On video, there didn’t appear to be any significant mechanism of injury to the ankles. There was a friendly-fire close call with Aidan Hutchinson, but no actual contact was made. Davenport was able to return to the game, until…
Marcus Davenport – shoulder, 3q 9:15
After a nice sack, Davenport had his right shoulder evaluated on the field. He may have hurt the shoulder area when he slammed the QB to the turf. A pec strain is also possible with this mechanism, but the official listing was a shoulder. He was out of the game for a short time, but did return in the 4th quarter.
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Campbell’s comments on Monday were somewhat reassuring that this injury is unlikely to be long-term:
“We’re still getting things looked at….. For Monday [vs Ravens], I’m hoping it won’t be too bad but until we get a couple of these second opinions back, I won’t know for sure.”
Aidan Hutchinson – left knee hyperflexion, 3q 5:39
There is no significant concern here as it looked like he avoided an ankle or knee injury. Hutchinson stayed in the game and picked up a sack later.
Campbell’s comments Monday confirm that there were no surprises afterwards:
“He’s a little sore but he’s alright.”
Christian Mahogany – right ankle sprain, 3q 6:33Christian Mahogany – possible ankle sprain, 4q 14:56
Mahogany gets rolled up on from behind trapping his right ankle in external rotation which can cause a high ankle or medial ankle sprain. He stayed in the game.
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Later on, Mahogany was hurt on an extra point with unclear video. It looks like he is rolled up on again – possibly aggravating that same right ankle injury from before. He was down on the field longer this time, but was back playing the next drive.
Campbell provided a reassuring update on Monday, but it’s still possible Mahogany could miss some time if it is a high ankle sprain.
“I think we’ll be ok…. He’s another one we’re checking out.”
Brian Branch – right arm, 4q 11:45
After a tackle attempt on the touchdown, Branch was down for a bit. This mechanism can cause a pec tear, among other things. Fortunately, he was back for the next drive, and a bullet was dodged. Turns out, that wasn’t the only bullet that Branch dodged this game…
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Brian Branch – right leg contusion and cramps, 4q 6:55Jack Campbell – right ankle contusion, 4q 6:55
Branch was leg whipped by Campbell. Both of them dodged a serious injury like a fracture – which shouldn’t be taken for granted as the Lions suffered two tib/fib fractures due to leg collisions (Aidan Hutchinson, Khalil Dorsey) last season.
Both players likely will have minor contusions. Campbell did not miss a snap. Branch left the game permanently, but this was partially due to cramps. He probably could have returned if it wasn’t garbage time.
Coincidentally, Campbell was dealing with a right ankle injury during the week, so it’s possible this collision aggravated it.
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TIDBITS
Both “questionable” players (Taylor Decker, Kerby Joseph) played and performed well. Despite not practicing all week due to a shoulder, Decker appeared to be very solid throughout the game. Joseph picked up his first interception of the season despite his knee issue.
Taylor Decker was wearing a right elbow brace that he was not wearing in Week 1. He had missed all last week of practice with a shoulder listing with no mention of an elbow. Another reminder that NFL teams are under no obligation to list everything on the injury report that is going on with a player.
Decker elbow brace
Mekhi Wingo played for the first time since his meniscus knee injury last November. He was in from the very first drive and logged 37 defensive snaps (54%). That was the highest snap count percentage of any DT in the game including Roy Lopez (46%), Tyleik Williams (37%), and DJ Reader (35%). The Lions certainly didn’t waste any time easing Wingo in.
Terrion Arnold came into the game with a minor groin issue. As expected, the groin was not a concern during the game as he played every snap until garbage time.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions Week 2 win over the Bears: Postgame injury analysis