It took 9 games, but it looks like injuries finally are really starting to take a toll on the Lions. Out in Arizona on Sunday, quite a few Lions got hurt, and even back in Detroit earlier this week, many others are still feeling sore. Here is an update on the injuries suffered in the Arizona game:
Cornerback Fernando Bryant went out in the second half of Sunday's game because of a sprained left foot. The official injury report won't be filed until Friday, but Marinelli said Bryant is questionable.
Defensive end Dewayne White (right triceps) missed the game. His status in unknown.
If Kitna is hurting from the Arizona game, then I am very wary of what will happen after the New York game on Sunday. The Giants have a great defensive line and get to the quarterback often, so Kitna could be in for a rough day. Couple that with the fact that he has less time to recover for the next game since it is on a Thursday and this could be a recipe for injuries.
Other than Kitna, the most important player on the team that can't afford to be injured is running back Kevin Jones. After coming back from an injury, the Lions' running game had been great, and that contributed greatly to the three-game winning streak Detroit went on. Against Arizona, Jones and the Lions as a whole couldn't run the ball at all, and the game resulted in a loss.
Now that he has been back on the field for a good month now, Kevin Jones is starting to experience soreness. That is common with any running back, but Detroit has to be careful with the way they handle Jones. If he goes down, then so does the running game, and usually that means the win-loss record takes a hit as well. He is being limited in practice so he can play on Sunday, but I wouldn't expect him to be at 100%.
This team will have to find a way to stay healthy here in the homestretch. Plain and simple, the key players can't go down. If somebody like Kitna or Jones get banged up to the point where they can't play, then we can basically kiss this season goodbye. With that being said, the offensive line has to play better. Keeping Kitna away from the other team's defensive line is the point of the o-line, and against Arizona they failed in doing that. If he takes as many hits against NY as he did in the desert, then he could end up on the injury report for a more serious thing than back pain.
Since we're on the subject of the offensive line - although this doesn't have anything to do with injuries - I want to get something off my chest. To George Foster: stops getting false start penalties. Those get very tiring after a while, and since you're the league leader in getting false starts, I thought I'd let you know that these little drive-killing moments need to stop. Thanks.