Lions Suffer Tough Injury Blow After Dominant Win Over Cardinals

It’s a Victory Monday for Detroit Lions fans, but unfortunately, not all the news was good. When Dan Campbell spoke with the media, he provided injury updates on Devin White and Tom Kennedy.

White suffered a broken arm and will undergo surgery. His recovery timeline remains unclear, but Kennedy’s situation was even worse. Kennedy tore his MCL and is scheduled to undergo surgery this week, ending his season. It’s a tough break for Kennedy, as this was the first time he had made the Lions’ opening-day roster, only to see his season cut short by injury.

With Kennedy sidelined, Amon-Ra St. Brown handled punt return duties against Arizona. Although he performed reasonably well, Campbell has already indicated that he does not want St. Brown to become the team’s full-time punt returner. Detroit will explore options both internally and externally as it searches for a potential replacement.

Blake Miller also appeared to suffer an injury late in the game, but Campbell provided some reassurance. He believes Miller is dealing with some irritation in his knee and expects him to be good to go. With Detroit entering its bye week, the extra time off should help Miller recover before the team returns to action.

The Lions got back on track with a dominant 45–21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals and now head into their bye week with momentum. Detroit will also receive a major boost for its Week 7 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, as center Cade Mays and safety Brian Branch will be available to return.

Speaking of the Packers, they defeated the Chicago Bears 31–7 last week, leaving the Bears, Packers and Lions all with 3–2 records. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings remain undefeated at 5–0 after earning another victory, this time against the New Orleans Saints.

The Vikings currently sit atop the NFC North, while Detroit, Green Bay and Chicago are tied for second place. The Bears could get Caleb Williams back as soon as next week, but injuries continue to pile up for Green Bay. The Packers recently lost starting defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to a season-ending injury, dealing another blow to their defensive front.

Detroit will have an entire week off to prepare for the Packers, who will travel to Ford Field for the Week 7 matchup. Green Bay will first face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football before turning its attention to the Lions.

The Packers are also expected to get All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons back next week. He could initially be on a limited snap count as he works his way back, but by the time Green Bay faces Detroit, he could be ready for a much larger workload.

With the NFC North standings tightening and a pivotal divisional matchup on the horizon, Detroit’s bye week could prove valuable. The Lions will have an opportunity to get healthy, address their special teams situation and prepare for a Packers team that could be getting one of its most dangerous defensive weapons back at just the wrong time.