The Detroit Lions have been enjoying a stellar start to their season, but it hasn’t come without some hiccups. Let’s face it: Every team in the NFL has lost at least one game at this point in the season, so the Lions aren’t alone, and they have a 4-2 record, so it could be much worse. But, it didn’t feel good to see the Lions fall in an important Sunday Night Football matchup to the Kansas City Chiefs last weekend. The Lions came out of Arrowhead Stadium with a 30-17 loss.
So, the Detroit Lions’ game Monday, October 20, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a must-win for the Motor City, really. The Bucs are one of the strongest teams in the NFL right now across the board, so if the Lions can shut them down, that will be a big feather in their football cap.
But, heading into Monday’s game, the Lions are looking at the Bucs’ roster, and it’s looking, well, too good. During this week, some news has come out of the Buccaneers’ camp that indicates Tampa Bay will be ready to play and perhaps even in better shape than they’ve been in the past few weeks.
Buccaneers Are Buffed Up for Detroit Lions
On Monday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield will probably get his best wide receiver back on the field. On Thursday, October 16, wide receiver Mike Evans was one of the players that returned to practice, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Evans suffered a hamstring injury during Week 3 and has been out for the past weeks, but it appears he’s expected to be back in the fold just in time for the Lions.
Evans is a veteran. He has hit 1,000 receiving yards in all 11 of his seasons with the NFL. He’ll certainly be a handful for Detroit, but hopefully the Lions’ defense can keep him at bay.
On top of Evans, other Tampa Bay players will also be healthy and back to take on Detroit. According to Stroud, cornerbacks Zyon McCollum and Benjamin Morrison, plus offensive lineman Mike Jordan are back at practice.
Detroit Lions Make Roster Changes
On Thursday, October 16, the Detroit Lions announced a handful of roster moves that will position them for the future, both immediate and long term. The Detroit Lions are officially making not one, not two but three new roster moves. The team is signing safety Jammie Robinson to the active roster from the Kansas City practice squad. They’ve also released defensive lineman Keith Cooper from the practice squad and signed safety Loren Strickland to the practice squad.
It certainly raised some eyebrows to see the Lions lap up a Kansas City Chiefs player right after that loss at Arrowhead Stadium. But, with Brian Branch suspended for a game, the Lions need the safety help. Plus, it never hurts to get inside the minds of opponents that have beaten you. So, now, it appears the Detroit Lions are truly ready for a Monday Night Football game under the lights.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Detroit Lions Receive Bad News Before Buccaneers Game appeared first on Heavy Sports.