The Detroit Lions are still in the process of determining the level of significance of Marcus Davenport’s chest injury, but according to coach Dan Campbell, they’re not expecting him to play in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens on “Monday Night Football.” On a positive note, while they’re still collecting information, Campbell does not believe Davenport’s injury is season-ending.
“I don’t see Davenport playing (in Week 3),” Campbell said at his Saturday press conference. “We’re still trying to decide what to do. We’ve gotten some other tests back. We do not feel this is season-ending, but don’t see him playing this week.”
When asked to clarify if Campbell had a specific timeline of how long Davenport is expected to be unavailable to play, the coach responded, “We’ll have a timeline today or tomorrow.”
Davenport was spotted wearing a sling on his right arm in the locker room on Friday, suggesting a stint on injured reserve is not out of the question, but Campbell appears to be leaving that door open as they evaluate their options.
With Davenport out, the Lions will turn to Al-Quadin Muhammad to start opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Muhammad has excelled as a pass rusher to start the season and is among the league’s best in pass rush win rate.
That production and effort have been recognized by Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, who stated that Muhammad has earned more playing time, regardless of whether Davenport’s injury keeps him off the field.
“He’s been phenomenal,” Sheppard said of Muhammad during his Friday press conference. “It has nothing to do with availability. Look at the effort he plays with. That is the identity of the Detroit Lions defense. Forget the stats, forget any of that stuff, just talk to me about Muhammad’s effort, and that is the standard for the Lions defense.”
On Saturday, Campbell noted that he’s happy with the team’s depth on the edge, noting that Tyrus Wheat and Tyler Lacy (who were both acquired at cutdowns but have yet to play through two weeks) have an opportunity in front of them.
“We like those guys,” Campbell elaborated. “It’s one of the reasons we acquired them, and those guys wanted to be here. They’re getting opportunities, we’re getting everybody opportunities just to see what they can do. And yes, they fit right in with us. I think they understand our system. They’re not as polished as everybody else necessarily, because our guys have been here. They’ve been in the system for a while. But, yet, they’re getting it, and every day they’re getting better and better. So we like our options.”
In addition to Wheat and Lacy, the Lions have also been relying on Pat O’Connor to give them edge reps, and they also have Andre Carter available to them via the practice squad. Josh Paschal remains on the Lions’ Non-Football Injury list for at least two more games, and while he is progressing through his rehabilitation, the Lions still don’t know when he’ll be able to return to full health.
0 CommentsSee More:
