The Detroit Lions are getting two massive pieces back on the field this Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, activating safety Brian Branch from the Physically Unable to Perform list and Cade Mays from injured reserve. This isn’t just a minor roster tweak either. The Lions have made it crystal clear both players are expected to jump straight into significant roles this week, and the questionable tags? Gone.
The Return of Branch: A Defensive Game-Changer
For Brian Branch, this is his first game action since he suffered a torn Achilles way back in early December. Think about that for a second: a torn Achilles. It is a brutal injury, and the Lions’ defense has felt his absence in a huge way, especially in the secondary. We’ve seen them struggle without him, and it has not been pretty. Earlier this week, head coach Dan Campbell wasn’t just hopeful, he expressed just how much of a difference Branch can make out there. Campbell put it perfectly, saying, “Here’s what’s great about getting BB back: BB gives you the flexibility,what do you want to do with anybody else? Because there are things you’re going to want to do with BB high, let him play top-down, and then there are things you want him to play underneath. And that doesn’t require somebody else playing off of him necessarily. He’ll make it right.” While it’s not clear exactly how many snaps Branch will get against the Packers, Campbell did indicate Friday that they’re going to “let him go here and we’ll be smart.” Sounds like we’ll see a healthy dose of him.
Mays Steps In: Reshaping the Offensive Line
Then there’s Cade Mays, who is finally set to make his Lions debut on Sunday. Remember when the team acquired him on that three-year, $25 million free-agent deal? There was so much excitement. Then, heartbreak struck in training camp when he broke his wrist. That injury forced Detroit to lean on Juice Scruggs as their starting center for the first five games. Scruggs has played well, absolutely, but Campbell made it clear they are putting Mays back in the lineup this week. Campbell said Wednesday, “We really worked the heck out of Cade yesterday. He got some quality reps, and we would like to give him a go here. … We’d like to just rip this Band-Aid off of Cade. I thought he had some good work yesterday. I thought he looked pretty good.” It sounds like Mays is ready to rock. Interestingly, the Lions didn’t make any additional moves on Saturday, meaning there are no elevations from the practice squad this week. They’re all in on these two.
This Sunday against the Green Bay Packers just got a whole lot more interesting. With Branch back to solidify that secondary and Mays stepping in to anchor the offensive line, the Lions are rolling out a significantly different squad than we’ve seen all season. What kind of immediate impact will these two difference-makers have? We are about to find out, and it feels like a whole new ball game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pride of Detroit.
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