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The Detroit Lions came out of Ford Field with a 20-19 upset win that appeared to be a pyrrhic victory. While the Lions finally righted the ship from their three-game losing streak, they also suffered what could be a devastating injury for their 2018 season.
In the third quarter, rookie running back Kerryon Johnson suffered a knee injury and did not come back. Things only looked worse when former NFL doctor David J. Chao tweeted this out, suggesting Johnson may have suffered the dreaded torn ACL:
Been trying to look for better video on #KerryonJohnson @Lions. Can't get to my typical 95% confidence threshold to write and be definitive but there is worry for left knee ACL injury on the 17 yard line with his third to last step on the reverse field run. Hope this is not true. https://t.co/MQfAkixQWi
— David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) November 18, 2018
However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has a much more optimistic report coming out of the game. According to Rapoport, the initial tests suggest Johnson did NOT suffer a torn ACL,, but instead has a knee sprain.
#Lions RB Kerryon Johnson will have an MRI on his knee tomorrow, but the early word is that it’s a knee sprain — not an ACL tear. In the midst of an impressive rookie season, the initial tests seem to provide good news.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 18, 2018
It’s worth noting that Ian Rapoport does not exactly have a good history with Lions injury reports. He initially reported that Ezekiel Ansah was not expected to miss any time with his shoulder injury in Week 1. Ansah didn’t come back from that injury until just a couple weeks ago.
Chao offered some quick notes on Rapoport’s news:
Let's hope this good news is confirmed!
— David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) November 18, 2018
Knee sprain implies ligament injury but hope ACL is spared. https://t.co/hJ8ZIsYs1q
This is the first promising sign for the Kerryon Johnson injury. We’ll obviously know more once the MRI is done on Monday—if the Lions provide an update. It still seems highly unlikely Johnson plays on a short week against the Bears on Thursday, but if he did actually avoid an ACL tear, that obviously is positive for his long-term health and future with the Detroit Lions.