The Detroit Lions just dropped their Week 2 inactive list against the Buffalo Bills, and while the offensive line news is a total gut punch, there’s a huge sigh of relief on the defensive side: starting outside corner D.J. Reed is playing. This dude was on the injury report with an unexpected foot injury, and honestly, a lot of us were holding our breath for this early September matchup.
Reed’s Surprise Return Sparks Defense
Man, when you see a key guy like D.J. Reed pop up on the injury report with a foot issue, your heart just sinks, right? But the Lions made some moves, declaring two other defensive backs inactive, and that opens the door for Reed to suit up and hit the field. This is massive for their secondary going up against the Bills. Imagine trying to scheme without your starting corner, especially this early in the season when everyone’s still finding their rhythm. His presence is going to be felt, no doubt. It’s a huge positive coming out of an otherwise rough injury week.
Offensive Line Faces Early Season Chaos
Alright, so the D.J. Reed news is great, but let’s talk about the absolute mess happening upfront for the Lions’ offense. They’re going to need to shuffle that offensive line AGAIN this week, which is just brutal. Starting right tackle Blake Miller, sidelined with a knee injury, is officially OUT. Same goes for starting left guard Christian Mahogany, who’s dealing with a hip issue. Both were ruled out way back on Wednesday, giving the coaching staff some time to figure it out, but still, this is a tough break. They were already rolling with Juice Scruggs at center because Cade Mays was out. Now, they’re probably going to have Larry Borom step in at right tackle and Ben Bartch take over at left guard. That’s a lot of new faces, a lot of new communication needed, against a Bills defense that can bring the heat. This is a major challenge for the offense in Week 2.
Roster Juggling and Buffalo’s Absences
To even get to game day, the Lions were scrambling. They started the day with only 52 active roster players, so they had to sign Levi Onwuzurike to the active roster and make two player elevations just to get to 55 guys for the game-day roster. With 48 eligible to play, they still had to declare seven players inactive, including some guys like Ahmed Hassanein and Mekhi Wingo who are out for the second week straight. On the Buffalo side, the Bills are without some key players too. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who apparently got hurt during warmups, is OUT. That’s a big loss for their interior pass rush. Ty Johnson at running back and Skyler Bell at wide receiver are also inactive, among others. Every little bit helps, but that Lions offensive line has its work cut out for them.
This Week 2 clash against the Bills is going to be a real test of depth for the Lions. With D.J. Reed back, the secondary gets a much needed boost, but can that patched-up offensive line protect the quarterback and open up running lanes? That’s the million-dollar question heading into this early season matchup. We’re about to find out how resilient this squad really is.
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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