The Detroit Lions will be without one of their key weapons on offense as they welcome the Jacksonville Jaguars into Ford Field for an interconference matchup this afternoon.
Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta is inactive and won't play today after injuring his shoulder last week in Detroit's win in Houston. LaPorta sat out practice all week due to the injury and was ruled out Friday.
Veteran tight ends Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra will step into bigger roles today, and the team elevated tight end James Mitchell from the practice squad this week to add depth there. They'll try to replace some of the production - 25 receptions, 366 yards and three touchdowns - the Lions will be missing without LaPorta in the lineup today.
Joining LaPorta on Detroit's inactive list vs. Jacksonville are safety Loren Strickland, defensive lineman Al-Quadin Muhammad, guard Christian Mahogany, offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal and tackle Giovanni Manu.
After being inactive last week, veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith is active and will make his Lions debut after the team traded for him at the deadline earlier this month. Smith had five sacks and 20 quarterback hurries in nine contests in Cleveland before the trade to Detroit.
"Yeah, we'll work him in, we'll make sure that we use him appropriately," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of Smith's usage this week. "Look, he's going to play on all downs, but we're going to maximize what he's got in the tank to help us. I guess, if you – pitch count, yes, somewhere in there we'll get him some."
