The Detroit Lions should have been in a celebratory mood on Monday.
After all, they had just defeated the Dallas Cowboys 47-9, their most dominant performance of the Dan Campbell era. Fox broadcaster Tom Brady said he believed they were the best team in the NFC.
Instead, they have to deal with the broken leg suffered by star defender Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson, the league’s leading pass rusher this season, remained in the Dallas area Monday to undergo surgery to repair his broken tibia and fibula.
“The surgery went great – it’s all good news – but man, Hutch is a captain for us, a very productive player and a great teammate who does everything the right way,” Campbell said. “So look, it hurts. It hurts to lose someone like that, not just the player, but the person.”
The expected recovery time is 4 to 6 months, which would leave Hutchinson ready to enter training camp in 2025. However, Campbell isn’t quite ready to write off his 2024 season just yet.
“I would never discount Hutch,” he said. “Yes, it’s probably a long way to go, but I would never say he can’t do it. If anyone can come back, it’s him.’
Even if Hutchinson returns in January, the Lions must find a way to replace his pass rush for the next 12 games. The easy answer is to trade for someone like Raiders star Maxx Crosby, but Campbell doesn’t expect general manager Brad Holmes to rush into anything.
“(Injuries) happen every year and Brad is always looking for ways to get better,” he said. ‘Is there anyone who could possibly help us? At what price? It has to be right – everything has to be right. Honestly, I believe in the guys that are here.
“We are watching and evaluating.”
Quarterback Jared Goff continued his perfect game against Seattle with another spectacular performance against the Cowboys. Through the two games, Goff has completed 36 of 43 passes (83.7%) for five touchdowns and no interceptions – plus a touchdown catch against the Seahawks. And the Lions combined to score 89 points.
Despite their best efforts, the Lions couldn’t get any of their offensive linemen into the end zone on Sunday. Still stinging because Taylor Decker’s two-point conversion last season in Dallas was called back due to a contested penalty, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson called a pass to Decker, a hook and lateral from Amon-Ra St. Brown to Penai Sewell and a screen pass to lineman Dan Skipper. Decker couldn’t hold on in the end zone, Sewell’s catch was called back for another penalty and backup quarterback Hendon Hooker was sacked before he could get the ball to Skipper.
CB Terrion Arnold, Detroit’s 2024 first-round pick, has been plagued by penalties all season. Against the Cowboys, he didn’t catch a flag and helped hold CeeDee Lamb to seven catches for 89 yards on 14 targets.
On the same drive that Hutchinson was injured, CB Carlton Davis left the game with a head injury. However, Davis has gone through the concussion protocol and will be able to practice this week.
251 – The total yards gained by Dallas. In the Lions 42-29 win over Seattle, the defense gave up 516 yards and it looked like Detroit’s secondary was going to be a significant problem. It didn’t look that way for the Cowboys.
Find a way to move past the Hutchinson injury and beat the undefeated Vikings on the road.
