NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero has a disappointing report on two injured Detroit Lions players.
Thursday morning started with some shocking news via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. According to his sources, the Detroit Lions are running back David Montgomery and left tackle Taylor Decker are not expected to play Thursday against the Green Bay Packers.
“There was some optimism early in the week, but I was told that Montgomery is not expected to play tonight,” Pelissero said on “Good Morning Football” Thursday morning.
This is in stark contrast to comments made by both Lions coach Dan Campbell and the players themselves.
“I feel like the two guys who are the most positive right now are Dekker and De Moe,” Campbell said on Tuesday. “Those are the two people I’m starting to feel good about.”
Decker, in particular, seemed very confident in his chances to play this week due to a high ankle sprain and bone bruise.
“It’s going to hurt, but as long as I’m able to do my job, I can handle the pain,” Decker said Monday. “I’ve done it many times before. I’m confident I can go out there and help us win, so it’ll be fun to get back out there with everyone.”
If Decker is indeed inactive in this game, it puts the Lions’ offensive tackle position in serious jeopardy. Backup Matt Nelson suffered a serious ankle injury last week and will be placed on injured reserve, and for him The backup – Dan Skipper – also left the game early with a hamstring injury. Skipper’s condition is currently unknown, as he returned to the practice squad after the game and was not required to be listed on the injury report.
If Skipper isn’t healthy enough to play, the Lions will likely rely on fifth-round rookie Colby Sorsdal to start at right tackle. Sørsdal has been training at guard since the Lions drafted him, but he played tackle in college. Beyond that, the Lions have literally no depth at tackle, so expect them to trade either undrafted rookie Connor Galvin or Max Bircher.
As for Montgomery, while he is a key part of what the Lions want to do in the running game, Detroit was able to do well without him last week against Atlanta Falcons. Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs handled the majority of the workload and finished with 80 yards on 17 carries.
In some positive — and also unexpected — news, Pelissero reported that Emmanuel Moseley is expected to make his 2023 debut for the Lions, shoring up the Lions in the secondary. Earlier in the week, Campbell suggested that when Mosley was ready, they would ease him into the lineup, sharing time with Gerry Jacobs.
“That’s going to be the plan that he’s going to work on, and I think it’s going to depend on the series more than anything else,” Campbell said. “Definitely, give him a few back-to-backs where he feels good and I think most of it will be — we’ll be more judgmental of his reps so we can be smart about that when he comes back.”
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