The Lions can't catch a break when it comes to injuries on defense.
Already down Aidan Hutchinson, Alex Anzalone, Marcus Davenport, Derrick Barnes and others who are on injured reserve, Detroit got more bad news Sunday as starting defensive tackle Alim McNeill and starting cornerback Carlton Davis III (jaw) left the game and could be out for the remainder of the season.
"Know more tomorrow. I don't feel good about either one of those guys," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after Detroit's 48-42 loss to Buffalo Sunday. "Normally if I'm like saying 'I don't feel good,' that means not good for the rest of the year, so don't feel good about it."
Davis left the game early in the second quarter after making a tackle on Bills running back Ray Davis. He stayed on the ground for a bit before leaving with trainers. He left with a jaw injury and was being evaluated for a concussion and never returned.
McNeill left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury and was immediately ruled out for the rest of the game.
The Lions also lost starting gunner, kick returner and cornerback Khalil Dorsey. He left the game in the second quarter after suffering a significant ankle injury. He was immediately ruled out and Campbell said it was a season ender for him.
RUN GAME WOES
For the second straight week, the Lions failed to consistently run the football to their standards.
Sunday against the Bills the Lions totaled just 48 rushing yards, their lowest total of the season. Detroit came into the contest averaging 151.1 yards per game on the ground, which ranked fourth best in the NFL.
"We never got our run game going, which was going to be a point of emphasis, and even out of those 15 carries, we just, we could never get it going," Campbell said. "So that's two weeks in a row. It's not good enough. And it's not them, it's us, and that's what's frustrating too."
Quarterback Jared Goff said getting behind early kind of took them out of their plan as he ended up throwing the ball 59 times for 494 yards and five touchdowns.
"I think we had to in some ways move on from it with the way the game was going," Goff said. "Maybe we stick with it if the game is in a little bit of a different place, it starts to pop, and then it's a different story. I don't know. But no, there's nothing significant there."
ST. BROWN PERFORMANCE
Goff threw touchdown passes to five different players Sunday including wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was targeted 18 times and caught 14 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown. His receptions and yardage totals are both single-game career highs and his 14 receptions tie the single-game franchise record.
He now has 410 receptions since entering the NFL in 2021 and joined Michael Thomas (470) and Jarvis Landry (400) as the only players with 400 receptions in their first four seasons in NFL history. He also joined Calvin Johnson and Herman Moore as the only players in team history to log 10-plus receiving touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
ONSIDE KICK
Following a Goff to Jahmyr Gibbs 12-yard touchdown catch that trimmed the Bills' lead to 38-28 early in the fourth quarter, Campbell opted to try an onside kick with 12 minutes left in the game.
Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins grabbed the kick and returned it to the Lions' 5-yard line. Josh Allen found Davis for a 5-yard touchdown pass on the next play to push the lead back to 17 points.
"I just thought we'd get the possession," Campbell said. "I thought we were going to get that ball. It was one of (Jake) Bates' best kicks that I've seen him have. That was a big kicker at the end, you know, that thing took a good jump on us.
"Hollins made a heck of a play on it. And, you know, obviously, now sitting here hindsight after them taking it down to the three-yard line, yeah, I wish I wouldn't have done that, but is what it is."
