The Detroit Lions will miss tight end Sam LaPorta for most of the next month, but could have their playmaking pass-catcher back for the final stretch of the season.
The team announced on Saturday that LaPorta was going on injured reserve with a back injury, keeping him out of Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and the next three games after that. While Lions head coach Dan Campbell wouldn’t give specifics of LaPorta’s return date, he offered some optimism this week that his injury would not be season-ending.
Sam LaPorta ‘Week to Week’
Campbell said this week that LaPorta’s injury is serious, but not so bad that it will keep him out the rest of the season. He is eligible to return in Week 15, and Campbell hinted that this could be the case.
“Obviously enough to where we’re talking about four weeks here,” Campbell said, via SI.com. “Obviously, we’re gonna hope that this thing calms down, and after those four games we can get him back. We’re really just taking this day-to-day, week-to-week.”
The Lions struggled on offense in Sunday’s loss, failing to get traction in either the passing or running games and missing LaPorta. The tight end has been a favorite target of quarterback Jared Goff since joining the team as a second-round draft pick in 2023.
LaPorta has made 186 receptions for 2,104 yards and 20 touchdowns in 42 games with the Lions, including 40 receptions for 489 yards and three touchdowns this season. That makes him the team’s No. 2 pass-catcher, behind only star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Lions Looking to Bounce Back After Struggles
The Lions have been a resilient team all season, bouncing back from each of their first three losses to respond with a win. But the loss to the Eagles was Detroit’s fourth of the season, dropping them to 6-4 and putting them in danger of missing the playoffs.
The Lions have fallen out of the playoff bracket and sit a game behind the Chicago Bears for the lead in the NFC North.
Detroit’s offense looked disjointed in Sunday’s loss, with the team averaging just 3.5 yards per carry and the Eagles getting 19 pressures on Goff.
Despite the difficulties, Campbell said he has full faith in the offensive line.
“I believe in these guys, man,” Campbell said, via the team’s official website. “I do. I just think the more they play together and they mesh, and we do things that we do well.”
Campbell has taken over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton, but placed some blame on himself for poor calls. He pointed to a 2nd-and-3 play where he wasn’t sure whether to go for the first down or take a shot downfield.
“Do you take a shot, or do you just get the first,” he said. “If you are going to get the first, why do that? Why not run it one more time or maybe go the shot or a more completion play. Maybe it’s a three-step. Those are the little things, man, you learn from as you go, that I think could have been a lot better. There’s better and those are the things that I’ve got to be better at and I know I can be better at and I kick myself a little bit.”
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