For the first time since Week 3, the Detroit Lions will have all three of their top wide receivers – Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark and Josh Reynolds – active and on the field together as Detroit hosts the Buffalo Bills for their 83rd annual Thanksgiving Day Game today.
Reynolds has missed the Lions' last three games due to a back injury but is active today after being listed as questionable on Wednesday's injury report. He has 26 receptions for 357 yards and a couple touchdowns in seven games played this season.
Chark returned to the lineup last week in New York after missing the previous six contests with left ankle soreness. He played just 11 snaps in Detroit's 31-18 win over the Giants but is expected to see his reps increase today against the Bills.
"He had 11 snaps, but just to get his legs back under him, get in there and move around a little bit. I know he came out of the game feeling pretty good," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of Chark this week. "So, we think – certainly, he's going to be able to take a bigger load this week which is good."
The Lions will be without starting guards Jonah Jackson (concussion) and Evan Brown (ankle), however. Both players were ruled out on Wednesday. Dan Skipper, Kayode Awosika and Logan Stenberg are on the roster as backup guards. The team also elevated center Ross Pierschbacher from the practice squad on Wednesday.
Defensively, Detroit will be without cornerback Jeff Okudah (concussion) and defensive linemen Charles Harris (groin) and Josh Paschal (knee).
The Lions are going to miss Okudah, who left last week's game to be evaluated for a concussion and couldn't navigate through the return-to-play protocol on a short week. He'll miss his first game of the season against a Bills' offense that ranks second in the league in points per game (28.1) and total offense (417.4) and is third is passing yards per game (283.4). Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs is one of only three receivers in the league to already have 1,000 receiving yards on the year.
Jerry Jacobs, Mike Hughes and Amani Oruwariye are all likely to see action at cornerback today.
"I think there's a good chance you'll see all three of them," Campbell said this week. "All hands on deck this week."
No Harris or Paschal should give John Cominsky more opportunities on the edge opposite Aidan Hutchinson again this week. Cominsky had a sack, two tackles for loss, a pass defended and a blocked extra point playing a bigger role last week against the Giants with Harris and Paschal out.
The team also elevated rookie linebacker James Houston from the practice squad to give them some pass rush and special teams help as well. It's the first time he's been active for a game this season.
Defensive lineman Michael Brockers joins Okudah, Harris, Paschal, Jackson and Brown to round out Detroit's inactive list today.
