It’s difficult to remember a time in recent history when the end of the season mattered as much as it does for the Detroit Lions. The Lions are down but not out yet.
On Thanksgiving, of course, the Detroit Lions dropped a big game to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving, making their record 7-5 for the 2025-25 season. With both the Packers and Chicago Bears safely in front of them in the NFC North, the team’s playoff hopes are messy, but not undoable.
“Things are a little different, that’s all,” Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after the game. “It’s just a little different, that’s the best way to say it. So, sometimes you’ve got to go about things a little differently.”
He added, “And I thought those guys battled up there today. I thought they did some good things in the run game. I did think we had some pretty good protection on a lot of our play-pass stuff. Now, I know we’ve got to hit on some stuff, but those guys went in there, competed.”
But, the Lions have to win out the rest of their season, and they’re already getting some concerning news. The team plays the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, December 4, and this news won’t help.
A Number of Detroit Lions Not at Practice
Star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was injured during the team’s game against the Packers, considering that he’s one of the team’s biggest stars, it’s crucial to get him back. But, St. Brown wasn’t able to practice with the team on Monday, December 1, meaning he’s still injured and not a given for Thursday’s game.
Other players who weren’t at full strength for Monday’s practice include and Kalif Raymond, Terrion Arnold and Brock Wright. It’s not great to head into this Cowboys game with a handful of starters out, but there’s time before Thursday, and hopefully some of these players can suit up.
A Little Silver Lining for the Detroit Lions
On a positive note, All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph returned to practice on Monday. But, he didn’t sound super confident about his condition.
“My knee’s messed up,” Joseph said. When asked about how it can be fixed, he replied, “You don’t fix it. Just keep the faith.” He added, “I’m just trusting God’s plan. Put it in God’s hands.”
Joseph became the highest-paid safety in NFL history when he inked a four-year, $86 million contract extension worth $36.1 million in guaranteed money during the offseason. He led the league in interceptions with nine last season. He was also named a First Team All-Pro.
As for fourth downs, Campbell said when asked if he’d stop his aggressive play-calling, “No, a lot of it depends on where the game is at, too. Where the game’s at, the opponent, how your defense is playing. Do you feel like you have a really good handle on what you’re going to get from that defense. Who you’re going to and all of those things.”
He added, “Going into it we liked those plays. So no, I wouldn’t say necessarily that’s going to have an effect on me.”
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