Lions inactives: Defensive line healthy scratches raise an eyebrow

Lions inactives: Defensive line healthy scratches raise an eyebrow with Levi Onwuzurike and Brodric Martin sitting and Isaiah Buggs ruled out

The Detroit Lions inactive player list for the Week 11 matchup with the Chicago Bears raises an eyebrow along the defensive line.

Two recent Day 2 draft picks, Levi Onwuzurike and Brodric Martin, are inactive for the game as healthy scratches. With Isaiah Buggs ruled out with an illness, it figured to be a good opportunity for one of them. They are sitting out while the Lions will play practice squad promotion Quinton Bohanna at defensive tackle instead. It will be Bohanna’s debut in a Lions uniform.

The other Lions inactives:

CB Steven Gilmore

WR Antoine Green

LG Jonah Jackson (injury)

LB Trevor Nowaske

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Lions inactive players vs. Chargers: DPJ and Brodric Martin will not play

Donovan Peoples-Jones and Brodric Martin are among the Lions who will not play against the Chargers.

Lions fans hoping to catch new wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones in a Detroit uniform will have to wait a little longer. Peoples-Jones is one of the inactive players for the Lions in the Week 10 matchup in Los Angeles against the Chargers.

“DPJ” was acquired via trade from the Cleveland Browns at the trade deadline, but he’s dealing with a rib injury that will keep him on the sideline for at least another week.

He’s joined on the inactive list by guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai and DL Levi Onwuzurike as players who appeared on the final injury report as questionable or worse.

There are three healthy scratches, all rookies. Third-round DT Brodric Martin is back to inactive after getting his first action in the Week 8 win over the Raiders. Undrafted rookies Steven Gilmore and Trevor Nowaske are also inactive.

 

 

 

 

Detroit Lions final injury report for Week 10 vs. the Los Angeles Chargers

The Lions head to Los Angeles with every starter ready to roll and just one player ruled out for Week 10

Coming out of the bye week, the Detroit Lions are as healthy as they can reasonably expect to be in Week 10. Only one player has been officially ruled out from Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, with one other Lion doubtful for Week 10.

Offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai is out with a back injury. Vaitai was already replaced in the starting lineup at right guard by Graham Glasgow, but this makes the move academic. Vaitai missed the 2022 season with a back injury and subsequent surgery.

The player listed as doubtful is defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike. He’s missed the last two practices with a hip issue. It’s unknown if Onwuzurike’s hip injury is related to his previous back injury. No player listed as doubtful and missing at least two days of practice has ever played during the Dan Campbell era, so consider Onwuzurike almost certain to be inactive in Los Angeles.

Two other reserves are listed as questionable. Lineman Dan Skipper and new wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones are both questionable with rib injuries.

No other players missed any practice time during the week, and none carry any injury designation into the trip to face the Chargers.

Lions inactive players vs. Panthers includes two healthy scratches on the DL

The Lions inactive players vs. Panthers in Week 5 includes two healthy scratches on the DL

The inactive player list for the Detroit Lions in Week 5 is mostly filled with injured players. As expected, defensive back Brain Branch, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown are all inactive due to injuries.

Tight end James Mitchell is also inactive with an injury after being listed as doubtful in Friday’s final injury report. That leaves two other spots for the Lions to declare inactive players. Both are defensive linemen who are healthy scratches.

For the fifth straight week, third-round rookie D Brodric Martin is inactive. He’s joined in Week 5 by Levi Onwuzurike, who has seen his playing time decline since participating in 22 reps in Week 1. Onwuzurike doesn’t typically play on special teams, which makes it easier to deactivate him for the week.

Levi Onwuzurike opens up about his back surgery and recovery

Lions DL Levi Onwuzurike opens up about his back fusion surgery and return to the football field

It’s been an impressive summer for Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike. Seemingly left by the football wayside due to a long-term back injury, Onwuzurike fought hard and earned his spot on the Lions’ 53-man roster.

It’s a great accomplishment for a player who missed all of 2022 with a back injury that went back to his college days at Washington. In the process, Onwuzurike had a fusion surgery that heretofore meant the end of a career.

In a must-read piece he wrote himself via Ceros, Onwuzurike lays out his path back to the field from the back surgery. For the first time, he also officially indicated that he had spinal fusion surgery for the L5-S1 vertebrae in the lower back.

I needed a spinal fusion in my L5-S1. It was pretty simple; the surgery could limit my flexibility and prevent me from playing football ever again. There are not a lot of guys who get this surgery and are able to come back to football. I had coaches tell me they had friends get this exact surgery and not be able to return to the game. I think it’s easier if you get this procedure in your neck.

It’s not an easy decision, knowing it almost certainly meant his football life was going to end. Onwuzurike understood the risk but also believed in his own mental strength and fortitude to be an incredible exception,

I was content knowing that if the surgery didn’t allow me back onto the football field, at least I had my quality of life. On top of being content with that, I was going to do everything in my power to get back to playing football. When you have that mindset, it’s hard for things to go wrong. And regardless, if things did go wrong, I still made my dream happen. I had a lot to be thankful for.

Watching Onwuzurike attack practice reps this summer, it was easy to see a man growing more confident in his newfound back. Being able to focus on football instead of pain management allowed Onwuzurike to start to flash the skills that convinced Lions GM Brad Holmes to draft him in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Onwuzurike credits a positive attitude and unwavering support from head coach Dan Campbell and the Lions.

It’s a well-written, thoughtful piece about a very difficult journey. Check it out and appreciate just how incredible it is that Levi Onwuzurike is still playing football for Detroit.

 

5 biggest surprises for the Lions 53-man initial roster

The Detroit Lions have released their initial 53-man roster and here are 5 of the biggest surprises stemming from the reveal.

The Detroit Lions have finally released their initial 53-man roster. There had been weeks of speculation on which players would make the cut and which ones would not. During the preseason games, many players put in impressive performances, especially given that the Lions rested their starters. This allowed the management to take a closer look at the players and determine who would be the best fit for the team.

Upon reviewing the final roster, there were a few surprises that caught my attention. Here are the five decisions that were the most unexpected to me with the initial roster release.

Studs and Duds for the Lions preseason win against the Panthers

With the preseason in the books, here are this week’s Studs and Duds for the Detroit Lions preseason victory over the Carolina Panthers

The Detroit Lions have wrapped up their preseason with a 26-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers. As most of the Lions’ top players sat out, the coaches and management had the opportunity to closely observe the players who are on the brink of making the final roster. It will be intriguing to see which players the Lions choose, as many of them performed exceptionally well, making the decisions more difficult. Unfortunately, some players did not perform at their best and may have fallen behind in the roster selection.

Here are the Studs and Duds for the Lions in their preseason win against the Panthers.

Detroit Lions stock report after the second preseason game

Breaking down which Detroit Lions players saw their stocks rise and fall in the second preseason game, a loss to the Jaguars

The second exhibition game for the Detroit Lions ended in a disappointing, punchless 25-7 loss to the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars.

With nearly every player of significance sitting out, it was a chance for the depth players in Detroit to prove themselves. Some looked like bullish risers, while others saw their stocks grow more bearish.

Here are the Lions who rose up and those who fell back in the preseason loss to the Jagaurs.

Studs and Duds for the Lions preseason loss against the Jaguars

Who helped and hurt themselves this week? Here are this week’s Stud and Duds for the Lions preseason loss against the Jaguars

The preseason is an opportunity for teams to assess their players, and the Detroit Lions relied on their backup players during their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately, they were unable to perform well and lost 25-7 in their second preseason game.

Since the starters were resting, we were able to observe the players who needed to prove themselves to secure a spot on the team. Although the offense was not performing at its best and the defense had some weaknesses, some players stood out, while others struggled.

Here are the Studs and Duds for the Lions in their game against the Jaguars this week. In this week’s edition, I focused on players who are right at the borderline of making the roster. I know Cominsky, Campbell, Walker, and Houston all had fantastic games, but we all know they are sticking around.

Lions vs. Jaguars: Detroit roster bubble players to watch in the preseason matchup

With the starters sitting for Detroit, it’s a big chance for these Lions on the roster bubble to prove they belong on the team

The second preseason game for the 2023 Detroit Lions will go a long way in determining which players wind up comprising the back half of the team’s 53-man roster. With head coach Dan Campbell indicating that pretty much every important Lions player will sit out Saturday’s matchup with the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s showtime for the depth.

Position battles will dominate the conversation for the Lions against the Jaguars. Here are a few combatants who can help sort things out with their play against the visiting cats from Jacksonville.

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