The Detroit Lions are quite healthy heading into their Divisional Round showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The team ruled Kalif Raymond out for Sunday’s game, but are otherwise mostly healthy heading into the matchup.
Raymond has handled punt return duties for the duration of the regular season but suffered a knee injury in the finale. He missed last week’s game against the Rams, and Donovan Peoples-Jones handled returns in his place.
Several players who appeared on the injury report during the week, like Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, did not receive designations for the game and are healthy.
Dan Campbell indicated Friday that the team was still deciding whether James Houston would play in Sunday’s game. Houston was activated off injured reserve on Thursday, but his status is questionable.
The Lions are attempting to progress to the NFC title game for only the second time in their history, having previously appeared on Jan. 12, 1992.
As a result, Campbell has directed the team’s efforts toward capitalizing on the opportunity that has presented itself.
“Look, folks, I mentioned something about it the other day. “They know we only have three left here, and then you get a bye,” Campbell explained. “After two byes, you get a third one. So there are just three left here, but everything starts with one. And that is the process throughout the year, regardless of where you are. If you lost one, you won five in a row, you’re in the playoffs, and it’s all about the one in front of you. You must keep focused on that.”
The Detroit Lions are aware that they are up against one of the best defenses in the NFL.
While the Buccaneers’ run defense is formidable, Detroit will not be hesitant about attempting to establish the run, especially with an offensive line that is playing comfortably and is generally healthy.
In 2023, Todd Bowles’ defense has only allowed 150 rushing yards three times.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell stated that while establishing the run is critical in this week’s divisional clash, the entire offense must contribute against an opponent with such a strong defense.
“Yeah, well, we’ve enjoyed what (David) Montgomery and (Jahmyr) Gibbs have accomplished. “And they’re an important part of our offensive production,” Campbell said. “They each bring something unique to the table, and I would say that the idea we envisioned is coming to fruition. So we are. We’ll need to be able to get those guys interested. But I believe this is one of those games when everyone will be needed. You actually are.
“And we’ll need to be able to run it and put it in the hands of those guys. But, I mean, (Amon-Ra) St. Brown’s must be big for us. Josh Reynolds needs to be big for us. (Sam) LaPorta has to be significant for us. “It will take everyone to move the football against this defense,” Campbell continued. “We are preparing to confront a championship defense. This is one of the top performers in the league. It was the first time we encountered them, and it still is.”
Gibbs, Detroit’s rookie running back, did not play in Week 6 while he recovered from an injury.
“I believe it will be critical (to establish the ground game).” I believe the offensive line has a chip on their shoulder from that last game, because we could have done better,” Gibbs said. “We have a standard to hold, so I think we’re going to live up to it.”
