Super Bowl or bankruptcy? Detroit Lions fans share their predictions for 2024
Super Bowl 59 or bust? Detroit Lions fans will give their predictions for the 2024 NFL season on Sunday, September 8, before the season opener.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said two key pass rushers will miss significant daily time following the team’s 20-13 road win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Campbell said Monday that starting defensive end Marcus Davenport could be out for the rest of the season after suffering an elbow injury in the second half and that Chess Piece linebacker Derrick Barnes is expected to miss “a significant” amount of time after being carted off the field with a knee injury. Davenport signed a one-year, $6.5 million contract as a free agent.
“Davenport is going to be out, that seems to be the end of the season,” Campbell said at the team’s Allen Park facility. “So we’re still getting other opinions on that. Barnes is going to be out for quite a while.”
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Campbell said the Lions are waiting for the swelling in Barnes’ knee to go down before making a decision on whether or not to place him on the injured list.
“We’re still getting second opinions on that,” Campbell said. “What we know now is that he’s going to be out of action for a while.”
Safety Brian Branch, who led the team with nine tackles, is in concussion protocol and his participation will be assessed on a day-to-day basis after he was eliminated following a scary game-ending collision with Trey McBride, Campbell said.
The participation of defensive tackle Alim McNeill (shoulder) and tight end Sam LaPorta (ankle) will also be calculated on a day-to-day basis.
“Really, everyone else is living day to day,” Campbell said. “With Mac (McNeill), it’s day to day, with LaPorta, it’s day to day, with Branch, it’s protocol, but to date, he’s doing pretty well, so we’ll see where that goes.”
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Barnes left the game on the second possession after being blocked deep. He was carried off the field and ruled out with a knee injury. He was on the field as an outside or off-ball linebacker on every defensive play until he was injured. Malcolm Rodriguez, Jack Campbell, Ben Niemann and Jalen Reeves-Maybin were the primary linebackers for the rest of the game while starting middle linebacker Alex Anzalone was out with a concussion.
“It’s going to hurt to lose Barnes,” Campbell said. “Barnes plays at a high level, but if it’s going to happen in any room, the linebacker room gives you confidence because all of those guys can play. We have a lot of confidence in those guys.”
McNeill went down at the end of the second quarter with a shoulder injury sustained while rushing the quarterback and did not return.
LaPorta left the game just before halftime with a sprained ankle. Jahmyr Gibbs was tackled in the back of his legs while blocking as he crossed the end zone on a hook-and-ladder touchdown. LaPorta was taken to the locker room but returned in the second half with limited play and a limp.
The Lions will need to find another pass rusher to complement Aidan Hutchinson, as Davenport and Barnes have been the two main options through the first three games. Campbell said they built the team to anticipate injuries and are relying on backup options like Josh Paschal.
“I have a lot of confidence (in the depth),” Campbell said. “And Paschal will, it’s going to be great for him. He’s going to take on a lot there now and he played an outstanding game.”
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press, covering the city’s professional teams, the state’s two top universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22 and email him at [email protected].
