Latest Lions injury report comes with bad news for worst possible matchup

No team in the NFL is playing better football right now than the Detroit Lions. They've won six in a row after a bit of a shaky 1-1 start with four of those six wins coming by at least two scores. Their 32.3 points per game leads the NFL, and the 18.5 points that they've allowed per game is tied for fifth. Their +110 point differential is 23 points better than that of the Washington Commanders who have the second-best point differential in the NFL. They look like the team that can best challenge the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Vibes are at an all-time high in Detroit, but as all NFL fans know, things can change in an eye blink. Detroit's injury report for their Week 10 game against the Houston Texans brought the kind of news no Lions fan wanted to see.

One of the most underrated left tackles in the sport, Taylor Decker, is listed as out for Detroit's Sunday Night Football game with a shoulder injury. This isn't too surprising considering the fact that he was limited in practice on Thursday and did not practice at all on Friday, but this is still a big blow, especially when considering the matchup.

Lions injury report is especially unfortunate considering their Week 10 matchup

Playing without Decker in any game hurts, but being without him against this Texans team in particular is tough. The Texans defensive line is really tough to stop.

Will Anderson Jr., the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has broken out in a huge way in his second NFL season, recording a career-high 7.5 sacks despite playing in only nine games. He has also chipped in with 11 tackles for loss, and 10 quarterback hits so far. He's their best defensive lineman, but is far from their only one.

Danielle Hunter, a player who signed a big contract to join Houston this past offseason, has been a perfect fit on Anderson's opposite side, recording 5.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 13 quarterback hits. Anderson and Hunter have been one of the best defensive line tandems in the NFL this season.

Having Penei Sewell and a stout offensive line around him is big when it comes to slowing one of them down, but whichever defensive lineman Sewell, in particular, isn't dealing with will likely have an easy path to making things uncomfortable for Jared Goff.

Can the Lions still win this game? Absolutely. The Texans, despite their 6-3 record, have looked awfully shaky this season and are dealing with injuries of their own. Still, being without an important offensive lineman in a matchup against two elite pass rushers makes this a lot tougher than Lions fans might've expected heading into the week.