The Detroit Lions have had the worst luck when it comes to injuries this season. What’s felt like week after week, the injury list continues to grow when at this point in the season, it should be shrinking.
Nonetheless, the Lions aren’t just staying above the surface, they’re still playing elite football despite a plethora of injuries this year. They are within reach of locking down the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
And while they’ll have to finish the regular season without David Montgomery, who was injured in the game against the Buffalo Bills, they got some optimism about his potential return.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, there’s optimism that Montgomery could return sooner than they anticipated. Rapoport reported he’s been doing rehab for his MCL injury over season-ending surgery.
Through a few medical consultations, it’s believed Montgomery could potentially return during the postseason. It would be a massive addition if he can.
Can the Lions offense survive with David Montgomery sidelined for the foreseeable future?
The Lions offense has been one of the most explosive in the NFL. And that’s a credit to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. And if there’s one thing he’s going to do is make the most of what he has.
And he still has Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Tim Patrick, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams and even Dan Skipper. The point is, yes, without Montgomery, the offense looks different. But Detroit still has weapons at its disposal.
Gibbs will now take over the load as the featured back. It will be interesting to see how the Lions change up their approach. With Montgomery and Gibbs, it was a true thunder-and-lightning combo.
Gibbs should still have some big plays, but it may be harder for him to get going as he won’t have Montgomery to wear down the defensive front. All that means though, is Johnson has his work cut out for him to scheme the offense to still be productive.
Which, let’s be honest, if he can get Dan Skipper a receiving touchdown, the Lions don’t have anything to worry about without Montgomery. They’ve figured it out with all the defensive injuries they’ve had. They have no choice but to do the same on offense.