The Detroit Lions’ latest outing ended with a crucial victory over the Cowboys, putting them back in the conversation to claim the NFC North. However, the negative note of the day was the serious injury to a defensive player, who Dan Campbell and Jared Goff will sorely miss.
Brian Branch tore his Achilles during his latest outing, and the safety will miss the rest of the season alongside his teammates. Despite this serious setback, the coach remains confident in the options he has to replace him.
“We’re good, man. . . . We got options here, but it’s like anything — you lose a good player, it hurts,” the head coach said during his Monday press conference. “But it’s not like we’re in dire straits.”
His natural replacement on the gridiron was Kerby Joseph, who is recovering from a knee injury, but there was also the possibility of Thomas Harper stepping into the role, although he is currently in the concussion protocol. As the days go by, Campbell will determine how to replace the safety.
Brian Branch #32 of the Detroit Lions.
Detroit’s playoff hopes
Just when it seemed all was lost, the latest victory over the Cowboys puts the Detroit Lions back in the hunt for a Wild Card spot. According to the NFL’s official site, the team currently has a 51% chance of making the playoffs ahead of Week 15.
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Jared Goff, Lions get hit with woeful news as defensive star suffered gruesome injury
What’s next for the Lions?
The Detroit Lions face a challenging closing stretch of the regular season that will significantly impact their playoff seeding. Their schedule features a tough road trip to face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, December 14th. They then return home to Ford Field to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, December 21st.
The Lions will finish their crucial December run with a Christmas Day road game against a divisional rival, the Minnesota Vikings, on Thursday, December 25th. Their final regular-season game is scheduled on the road against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, January 4th, with the game time to be determined. This sequence of games, including two road trips and a division rivalry, will be a major test of their postseason aspirations.
