Will Injuries Derail Detroit Lions Against Buffalo Bills in Week 5 Matchup?

The Detroit Lions are a surprise team atop the NFC North so far this season—at least, according to preseason predictions—and to stay alone in first place through Week 5, they will have to withstand a bevy of injuries heading into their home matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

Running backs Joique Bell (concussion) and Theo Riddick (hamstring) and tight end Joseph Fauria (ankle) have already been ruled out, and wide receiver Calvin Johnson (ankle) is questionable after being limited in practice on Friday. 

Detroit Lions Injury Report

Pos.	Player	Injury	Status
RB	Joique Bell	Concussion	Out
TE	Joseph Fauria	Ankle	Out
LB	Travis Lewis	Quadriceps	Out
RB	Theo Riddick	Hamstring	Out
CB	Cassius Vaughn	Ankle	Doubtful
WR	Calvin Johnson	Ankle	Questionable
S	Don Carey	Hamstring	Probable
DT	Nick Fairley	Knee	Probable
WR	Golden Tate	Hamstring	Probable
DE	Devin Taylor	Knee	Probable
OT	LaAdrian Waddle	Calf	Probable

Megatron, of course, was listed as questionable prior to the Lions’ Week 4 game at the Jets and played, but he caught only two passes for 12 yards while playing on 37 of the Lions’ 66 offensive snaps. After the game, Johnson laughed when asked if he was even 90 percent.

Head coach Jim Caldwell said Johnson was used as a decoy against the Jets: “They still had to account for him. We might not have done all of the things that we normally do with him. We just tried to make certain we stayed within the framework of what he could do physically.”

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported there is a chance he misses Sunday’s game if his ankle does not improve. According to Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News, Caldwell admitted Johnson may miss a game if it means putting the injury in the rear-view mirror:

Fauria is still out after spraining his ankle trying to stop his three-month-old dog from urinating in the house, so rookie Eric Ebron may play a bigger offensive role after recording his first career touchdown reception last week at the Jets.

The No. 10 overall selection in the 2014 NFL draft admitted earlier today the mental side of the game has “zombified” him at times as a rookie.

According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Ebron said, "You start to get zombified sooner or later. I don't even know if zombified is a word, but you just turn into a zombie mentally. But you're there physically. Oh, your body's going to work, but your brain just stops."   

Ebron played a season-high 34 snaps last week, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He turned four targets into three catches for 34 yards and a touchdown.

Bell has been cleared for physical activity, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, but he will not play against the Bills. It is a significant loss, because Theo Riddick, who would have been next in line for carries, is also out with a hamstring injury. That leaves George Winn, signed off their practice squad earlier this week, for backup duties against the NFL’s No. 3 run defense.

Right tackle LaAdrian Waddle, who injured his calf during the Lions’ first series in Week 1, is probable, which is good news for Matthew Stafford. In his absence, the Lions have used Garrett Reynolds and Cornelius Lucas, both of whom have earned negative grades from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) to date this season.

Wide receiver Golden Tate is probable after being added to the Lions’ injury report on Thursday (hamstring). He tied a career-high with eight receptions last week as the biggest beneficiary of the Calvin Johnson decoy.

The Bills are not without injuries of their own, as both defensive tackle Kyle Williams and linebacker Nigel Bradham are doubtful.

Despite their long list of injuries, the Lions should win—regardless if Calvin Johnson is 100 percent, used as a decoy or does not play—if they execute their game plan. The league’s top-ranked total defense should do just fine against newly appointed starter Kyle Orton.

On offense, if the Lions can convert on third down and put together sustained drives, as they have done in all three wins thus far, they’ll stay alone in first place in the NFC North for at least another week.

In previous seasons, a Calvin Johnson injury was a knockout blow to the Lions offense, as the team lacked a capable No. 1 receiver in his absence.

Since he was selected No. 2 overall in the 2007 NFL draft, Johnson has missed six games, with the Lions averaging 14.8 points and 209.5 passing yards in those games. With Johnson out in Week 17 last year, Kevin Ogletree was the Lions' leading receiver, and Brandon Pettigrew held that title without Johnson in Week 5.

There's reason to believe this season would be different, as Tate demonstrated last week, posting eight receptions for 116 yards 10 targets. With the Seattle Seahawks last season, he ranked among positional leaders in drop rate, yards after catch and broken tackles, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Last year, the Lions shuffled between the likes of Nate Burleson, Kris Durham and Ogletree, so if Johnson can't play, they still have a consistent, reliable option in Tate.

Most tight ends do not make an immediate impact in their rookie season—and Ebron may be no exception—but without Fauria, the Lions still have big-play potential from the position.

Finally, Reggie Bush will take on a bigger role in the Lions offense in the absence of Bell. In Week 4, the Bills held the Houston Texans running game to 37 yards on 23 carries, including 15 yards on 17 carries by Arian Foster and Alfred Blue combined.

The Bills, however, allow 266 yards per game through the air, 25th in the NFL, so Bush should contribute more in the short passing game, as he ranks seventh among NFL running backs in targets over the last two seasons.

Bush is a good bet to eclipse 20 touches for the first time this season. 

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said on Thursday when Bell's status was still in doubt: "If Joique can't go, then like every week someone's going to have to step up and fill in the slack. It'll probably mean Reggie's got a bigger role, and then whoever is our second back, is going to have to pick up some slack."

Last week at New York, Bush ran six times over the Lions' last two drives to help milk the clock in a 24-17 win.

The Lions, 7.5-point favorites, according to Odds Shark, hope to see that again this week to close out another victory at Ford Field.

 

Injury report via DetroitLions.com.