The Detroit Lions may finally be hitting a breaking point when it comes to their defense. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Lions will be without defensive tackle Alim McNeill and cornerback Carlton Davis indefinitely following yesterday's 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Lions CB Carlton Davis will undergo surgery on his broken jaw and be sidelined indefinitely, per sources. https://t.co/8sg7lQbkdf pic.twitter.com/JFwufTXN3j
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 16, 2024
McNeill suffered a torn ACL, which could put his availability for the beginning of the 2025 season in doubt. Davis will undergo surgery for a broken jaw. His timeline for a return is much murkier, but he'll likely be out for the remainder of the regular season.
McNeill is one of the true cornerstones of the Lions defense. He joined the team as a third-round pick in 2021 and even earned a four-year, $97 million extension earlier this season. He ends his season with 3.5 sacks and a career-high 7 tackles for loss.
Davis joined the Lions via trade this past offseason. He won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, but he was arguably having the best season of his career this year with the Lions. The 77.0 passer rating he allowed on passes in his direction this season was a personal best.
McNeill and Davis join a long, long list of injuries on defence for the Lions that includes edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson and linebacker Alex Anzalone.
Lions notable defensive injuries this season:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 16, 2024
🏈DE Aidan Hutchinson
🏈DT Alim McNeill
🏈DL Marcus Davenport
🏈DL John Cominsky
🏈LB Alex Anzalone
🏈LB Malcolm Rodriguez
🏈LB Derrick Barnes
🏈LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
🏈CB Carlton Davis
🏈CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
🏈CB Emmanuel…
Despite all that misfortune, the Lions had been one of the league's best defenses entering Week 15, allowing a mere 18 points per game through their first 13 games. Unfortunately, they may have finally hit their breaking point on Sunday: The Bills piled up an absurd 48 points, 559 yards, and 28 first downs in Detroit without a single turnover.
The Bills are one of the league's most explosive offenses, so the Lions probably don't need to fear that level of output on a weekly basis. Still, what was once a strength for the Lions could now be an Achilles heel.
The Lions remain perhaps the league's best offense: Their 32.8 points per game and 336 total first downs lead the NFL. Still, they jumped out to a 12-1 record by being the league's most balanced team. If they're going to win a Super Bowl, they'll need to find some way to stabilize their defense. They can only survive so many shootouts.
Photo Credit: © Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
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