Eric Ebron leaves Lions game with knee injury

The Detroit Lions are 0-3 and trailing the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football at CenturyLink Field. As though that is not enough bad news, the Lions can now add a knee injury to second-year tight end Eric Ebron. Ebron went to the sideline briefly and was in obvious pain before being taken to the locker room.

If Detroit loses Ebron for any length of time, the Lions would be without their premiere weapon in the middle of the field. Despite the presence of Theo Riddick and Ameer Abdullah in the backfield, the Lions have not been able to run the ball behind an awful offensive line.

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The offense depends on the passing game, with Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate on the perimeter and Ebron between the numbers. Ebron came into the league as a very highly-touted tight end from the University of North Carolina. General manager Martin Mayhew selected Ebron with the 10th-overall pick in 2014 and he was middling as a rookie, hauling in 25 passes for 248 yards and one touchdown.

After taking over the top tight end role for Brandon Pettigrew, Ebron looked like a different player through the first three games of 2015. The 22-year-old New Jersey native has 13 catches for 157 yards and two scores, showcasing a blend of elite size and speed.