Tag: Malcolm Rodriguez

Lions injury update: An offensive lineman joins the team’s practice injury report

Lions injury update: An offensive lineman joins the team’s practice injury report, with left tackle Taylor Decker limited on Thursday

The Detroit Lions head to the final practice ahead of the team’s Week 10 trip to Houston in relatively good health. However, Thursday’s practice participation report did feature one new addition after a Wednesday session that saw two defensive contributors sit out with injury.

Linebackers Malcolm Rodriguez and Jalen Reeves-Maybin are still sidelined, and neither should be expected to play in Houston.

The new addition is left tackle Taylor Decker, who was listed as a limited participant with a shoulder. He was not on Wednesday’s injury list, and that practice was an estimated walkthrough.

Newly acquired DE Za’Darius Smith continues to be away from the team after initially reporting. Head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn have both indicated Smith can play on Sunday and is excused from practice this week.

Defensive end Josh Paschal continues to battle back from the removal of a non-cancerous mass from his shoulder. The cancer survivor from his college days at Kentucky missed last week as well. Rookie defensive lineman, who missed Week 9, joined Paschal as a full participant in both of the practices this week.

Lions vs Texans: Wednesday injury report medical analysis

Lions vs Texans: Wednesday injury report medical analysis on the players listed by both teams

The wet Lambeau field probably aided the Lions to a healthy game by slowing everybody down and allowing feet to slip out of dangerous situations like with Jahmyr Gibbs. There were some minor concerns coming out of the game, but the only one that landed on the Wednesday report is Jalen Reeves-Maybin.

Lots of other positive news this week as the Lions welcomed in multiple players including Emmanuel Moseley, Ifeatu Melifonwu, and Za’Darius Smith.

The Texans had two very important players not practice on Wednesday in Nico Collins and Will Anderson.

DETROIT LIONS

Jalen Reeves-Maybin LB (NP) neck

What appeared to be a shoulder injury on video is actually listed here as a neck. Most likely, this is just a soft tissue strain. The more serious concern would be a spinal or nerve issue. It’s reassuring that he was allowed to return to the game late for the onside kick which suggests there were no signs of a spinal problem.

Malcolm Rodriguez LB (NP) ankle

Rodriguez suffered a left ankle sprain early in the Titans game and missed the last game. While the sprain is reportedly minor, the NP makes it unlikely we’ll see him this weekend.

Josh Paschal DE (FP) illness

Clarity on the “illness” was given by Paschal today as he described it as a non-cancerous mass in his shoulder that was excised. Great news that it is not related to his melanoma from 2018. Paschal missed two games but is ready to go this Sunday. No long-term concerns here.

Emmanuel Moseley CB (FP) pec

Moseley’s tore his pec in August and has been out all year. His 21-day practice window opened Wednesday which keeps him tracking along the 16-week timeline of CJ Gardner-Johnson’s pec tear of last year. Expect Moseley to be available around Thanksgiving.

Ifeatu Melifonwu S (FP) ankle

Melifonwu has been out since the middle of preseason with a suspected Achilles issue. His 21-day practice window opened today which is a good sign that he’ll be available later this month.

Za’Darius Smith DE (NP) personal

Just acquired this week from the Browns, Smith may get a personal bye week since the Browns hadn’t had a bye yet and the Lions did. There is nothing to be concerned about here even if he misses the game.

Sione Vaki RB (FP) knee

Vaki hurt his knee late in the Titans game and missed the last game. Video did not show the injury. The FP means he is recovered and is good to go.

Mekhi Wingo DT (FP) ankle

Wingo hurt his ankle presumably in practice last week and missed the last game. The FP confirms the injury is minor and he’ll be ready for Sunday.

Brodric Martin DT (FP) knee

Martin is starting the 2nd week of his 21-day practice window recovering from a right knee hyperextension in August. Expect Martin to be out for the Texans game.

NOTABLES

Jameson Williams returns from his two game suspension.

Jahmyr Gibbs was rolled up on during a tackle last game which put him at risk for a left high ankle sprain and right knee hyperextension. Great news that he is completely absent from the report.

Carlton Davis may have had a right arm stinger last game. Good news that he avoided any shoulder or pec injury.

Penei Sewell appeared to suffer a mild right low ankle sprain vs the Packers which was not significant enough to land him on the report. No concerns for Sunday.

HOUSTON TEXANS

Nico Collins WR (NP) hamstring

The Texans #1 WR was put on IR after straining his hamstring in week five. Since hamstrings can easily get aggravated, a gradual return-to-play is advisable. Thus, the NP on Wednesday very likely keeps him out vs the Lions.

Will Anderson DE (NP) ankle

On video, this star pass-rusher appeared to suffer a left high ankle sprain last game. High ankles can have a longer-than-anticipated recovery time (see Micah Parsons), so there is a good chance he’ll be out on Sunday.

Kenyon Green OG (NP) shoulder

This starting LG hurt his shoulder last game and is reportedly out for the year. Kendrick Green replaced him last game.

NOTABLES

Stefan Diggs, WR, is out for the year with a right ACL.

Mario Edwards, starting DT, is serving a suspension and is out for this game.

Here is the rest of the Texans report:

Lions rule two defensive players out vs. Packers

Lions coach Dan Campbell ruled two defensive players out vs. Packers, including starting defensive end Josh Paschal

The injury woes keep piling up for the Detroit Lions defense. Detroit head coach Dan Campbell declared two Lions defenders out for Sunday’s game with the Packers in Green Bay ahead of Friday’s practice session.

Campbell ruled out projected starting defensive end Josh Paschal in his coaching press conference on Friday morning. Paschal is dealing with an issue related to a recent post-cancer screening. The third-year vet dealt with cancer during his college career at Kentucky. Paschal will miss his second consecutive game.

Campbell downplayed any long-term concerns about Paschal’s condition.

“He’ll be out. He and Malcolm (Rodriguez) will both be out,’ Campbell said. “But no, nothing long-term, which is great news, and we’re hopeful we’ll get him back next week.”

Rodriguez being ruled out is not a surprise. The reserve linebacker was carted off with a knee injury in Sunday’s home win over the Tennessee Titans and has not practiced throughout the week.

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Lions get 7 back at Thursday’s practice but lose another DL

Lions get 7 back at Thursday’s practice from Wednesday rest day but lose another DL

As Detroit head coach Dan Campbell promised before Wednesday’s practice session, it was a day of rest for many Lions players. Seven vets who sat out the first practice ahead of the NFC North battle in Week 9 in Green Bay returned to full action on Thursday.

That group includes several keys to the Lions’ 6-1 start:

QB Jared Goff

RG Kevin Zeitler

LG Graham Glasgow

C Frank Ragnow

DT DJ Reader

DL Levi Onwuzurike

RB Sione Vaki

Left tackle Taylor Decker (chest) upgraded from being out on Wednesday to limited on Thursday. That improvement portends well for Decker to play in Green Bay.

Unfortunately, the Lions lost another defensive linemen during Thursday’s practice. Rookie Mekhi Wingo was listed as a limited participant with an ankle injury after being a full go on Wednesday. No information on the extent of Wingo’s wound is known yet.

Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) and DE Josh Paschal (illness) sat out fully once again.

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Lions vs Packers: Wednesday injury report medical analysis

Lions vs Packers: Wednesday injury report medical analysis on both teams, including Jared Goff, Malcolm Rodriguez and Jordan Love

The Lions and Packers will be dueling for first place this Sunday. While both team’s QBs suffered injuries last game, the bigger question mark is the status of Jordan Love.

Love left the last game due to a groin injury and did not practice today. He is also still wearing a knee brace related to an MCL sprain suffered in week one.

The Lions came out of the Titans game very healthy after dodging a severe injury to Malcolm Rodriguez. Many Lions got rest days today which could be a routine precaution or related to previous injuries that I will reference below.

DETROIT LIONS

Jared Goff QB (NP) ankle

In the 1st quarter, Goff suffered a mild inversion injury to his right ankle which can cause a low ankle sprain. He didn’t miss any plays and only left in garbage time.

A rest day was expected and is not a concern. He might get some extra tape but should be a full-go vs the Packers.

Malcolm Rodriguez LB (NP) ankle

Early in the 1st quarter on punt coverage, a Titans player crashed into his left ankle from the side which can cause a high ankle sprain, medial ankle sprain, or a fracture. Fortunately, reports are that the injury is minor and not a high ankle sprain. While he likely won’t play this week, he might be back next week.

Josh Paschal DE (NP) illness

Paschal did not practice all last week and missed the Titans game due to an illness. For an illness to last this long is slightly unusual, but fortunately, early reports are it is minor. Most importantly, the illness isn’t a recurrence of the life-threatening melanoma he had in 2018.

Brodric Martin DT (FP) knee

Martin suffered a right knee hyperextension on August 24. Good to see that his 21-day practice window has opened with an FP. We could see him moved to the active roster at any point, even as soon as this weekend. More likely he’ll use up most of his practice window before getting activated.

Taylor Decker OT (NP) chest

Not sure what to make of the chest designation but I’m not too concerned at this time. The pec and ribs are in the chest area but are usually listed as such. There is worry for internal organ injury (typically lungs) with a chest designation but there were no signs of a serious injury during the game.

I reviewed all his plays in the 3rd quarter and didn’t notice anything. He didn’t play in garbage time of the fourth quarter.

Sione Vaki RB (NP) knee

Video review showed that he came up limping on punt coverage in the 4th quarter. He was not in frame for most of the play. The limp suggested a right leg injury. He did not go down after the play which hopefully means it’s minor.

Frank Ragnow C (NP) rest

Ragnow has had a chronic toe issue for years and has gotten regular rest days since then.

Kevin Zeitler OG (NP) rest

Zeitler missed the Cowboys game three weeks ago due to a groin/hip issue but has played the last two games. He also had a shoulder issue in training camp.

Levi Onwuzurike DT (NP) rest

Onwuzurike has made a remarkable recovery from L5-S1 lumbar fusion in October 2022. Getting regular rest days may help keep his back healthy.

DJ Reader DT (NP) rest

Reader had a right quad tendon tear in December 2023. He made his first appearance in game two and has been reliable so far. Rest days might be a good idea to keep his leg strong.

Graham Glasgow OG (NP) rest

Glasgow had a minor knee issue back in week two.

NOTABLES

Kalif Raymond

On a day he won special teams player of the week, Raymond had his head slammed onto the turf in the 4th quarter. He did pass the sideline concussion evaluation and seemed fine after the game. Good news that there are no signs of delayed concussion symptoms.

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Jordan Love QB (NP) groin

The MRI this week did not show anything severe which suggests this won’t be a long-term injury. Whether he plays vs the Lions is up in the air and likely comes down to many factors including severity and risk tolerance.

Lean in:

  • This is an important game in the division.
  • The bye after the game allows for extra recovery time.

Lean out:

  • The groin isn’t an area that can be effectively protected with a brace or tape like an ankle or knee. Thus an aggravation during the game is certainly possible.
  • He’s still recovering from his week one MCL sprain and wears a knee brace.
  • It’s still early in the season so risking an aggravation to the groin or MCL may not be worth it.
  • Malik Willis has won two games as a starter this year beating the Colts and Titans.

Jaire Alexander CB (NP) knee

This starting CB played 100% of snaps last game. An MRI this week was negative which suggests he has a good chance of playing vs the Lions.

Josh Jacobs RB (NP) ankle

Jacobs has been an impact player for the Packers this year with 667 rushing yards. He hurt his ankle this past Sunday but he’s expected to be ready for the Lions.

Quay Walker LB (FP) concussion

Walker missed last game due to concussion but is on track to play Sunday.

Josh Myers C (NP) wrist

Myers is the starting center and played all snaps last game.

Rasheed Walker OT (NP) knee

Walker is the starting LT and played all snaps last game.

Elgton Jenkins G (NP) glute

Jenkins had the glute injury before last game and still played.

Corey Ballentine DB (LP) ankle

This CB has had minimal defensive snaps this year. He missed last game but may be on track to be back this Sunday.

Kenny Clark NT (LP) toe

Evan Williams S (NP) hamstring

Devonte Wyatt DT (LP) ankle

Lions Monday medical report after victory over Titans

Breaking down Detroit Lions injuries and medical outlooks from the Week 8 win over the Titans, including Malcolm Rodriguez and Jared Goff

For the Lions this week, déjà vu was a double-edged sword. After another blowout victory, the Lions unfortunately had an injury to another front-seven defensive player in Malcolm Rodriguez. The last time the Lions blew out a team (Cowboys), they lost Aidan Hutchinson and Kyle Peko.

The game was otherwise a healthy one — although you never want to see your QB limping. Fortunately, the injury to Jared Goff does not appear significant.

On Monday, Dan Campbell in his press conference was not asked and did not comment on any injuries in this game.

Here are the injuries I saw along with suspected diagnoses:

Malcolm Rodriguez (1q 12:57) left ankle sprain

On Rodrigo’s first play which was punt coverage, a Titans player crashed into him from the side which likely caused an eversion injury to his left ankle. Eversion injuries can cause high ankle sprains or medial ankle sprains.

He was taped up and returned to the game for one more play which was kickoff coverage. During that play which was his last, his ankle was clearly not stable as it gave out on him.

Immediately after the game, Dan Campbell tentatively stated: “I don’t think it’ll take the rest of the season.”

An update on Monday by @Schultz_Report provided significantly better-than-expected news in that it’s a only minor ankle sprain and he’s expected to miss just one game. That means he should be back for Sunday Night Football vs the Texans.

Jared Goff (1q 7:47) right low ankle sprain

Credit to the Fox broadcast for alerting us to the moment of this injury as it was almost imperceptible in real-time. In slow motion, you can see the right ankle suffer a mild inversion which can cause a low ankle sprain.

A low ankle sprain, if not severe, can be taped and played through. That’s what happened here as Goff returned with a tape job and didn’t miss any plays until garbage time.

Goff may be sore this week and may even have limited or no practice days, but he should play vs the Packers without significant limitations.

Kalif Raymond (4q 8:15) head trauma

After a monster day, Raymond had his head slammed onto the turf. He was holding his head with both hands briefly and was slow in getting up. There were no signs of fencing or loss of consciousness which would have definitively signaled a concussion.

While he didn’t return to the game for garbage time, he did pass the sideline concussion evaluation and seemed fine after the game. He’s not out-of-the-woods yet as delayed concussion symptoms are possible and generally require self-reporting. If we don’t hear anything in the next couple days, Raymond should be a full-go vs the Packers.

Malcolm Rodriguez injury vs. Titans: Latest on the Lions LB

Lions injury update for linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, who left the Week 8 game against the Titans with an ankle injury

The Detroit Lions defense was already down several players with injuries entering the Week 8 matchup with the Tennessee Titans. Unfortunately, the Lions suffered another one on an early kickoff coverage play in Ford Field when LB Malcolm Rodriguez limped off.

Malcolm Rodriguez injury update

Rodriguez was taken off the Lions sideline on a cart. After initially being ruled questionable to return with an ankle injury, the Lions medical staff announced Rodriguez was out for the rest of the game.

Lions snap count notes vs. Vikings: How Detroit replaced Aidan Hutchinson in Week 7

Lions snap count notes vs. Vikings: How Detroit replaced Aidan Hutchinson in Week 7

Week 7 marked the first time the Detroit Lions were forced to play without Aidan Hutchinson. Knowing Hutchinson’s league-leading pass-rush production cannot possibly be replaced by one player, the Lions attacked the Minnesota Vikings with a barrage of options at EDGE.

Josh Paschal and Isaac Uwku earned the starting roles, as the Lions continue to adapt to also not having starter Marcus Davenport. Paschal, who bagged the first of Detroit’s four sacks of Vikings QB Sam Darnold, played the most with 52 of 60 snaps. Ukwu, elevated from the practice squad for the second straight week, was next at 34, followed by Levi Onwuzurike at 26, freshly signed Pat O’Connor with 12, rookie Mekhi Wingo 11 and James Houston on the field for 9 reps.

The defense featured five iron men, Lions who played all 60 defensive reps:

S Kerby Joseph
S Brian Branch
CB Carlton Davis
CB Terrion Arnold
LB Alex Anzalone

Paschal might’ve attained that too, if not for having to exit twice for attention from trainers.

Detroit’s defense also opted for more 3-LB looks than normal. Third LB Malcolm Rodriguez played over half the game, getting 32 reps. Jack Campbell played 47 and Trevor Nowaske, the new SAM, repping 14 snaps. Jalen Reeves-Maybin also played 10, and that doesn’t count the (abysmal) fake punt in the first quarter.

Other notes

The starting offensive line, including fill-in RG Kayode Awosika, all played all 57 snaps. Detroit did not use an extra lineman at any point in this game.

The RB snap splits: Jahmyr Gibbs 33, David Montgomery 22, Craig Reynolds 2.

Rookies Ennis Rakestraw (CB) and Sione Vaki (RB) only appeared on special teams.

TE Shane Zylstra, elevated from the practice squad in favor of healthy scratch Parker Hesse, played three offensive snaps and 21 of a possible 31 special teams reps.

 

Two key questions heading into Lions vs Cowboys

Two key questions heading into Lions vs Cowboys in Week 6

With a trifecta of impact edge rushers out, what will the Cowboys pass rush look like?

Micah Parsons (high ankle sprain), DeMarcus Lawrence (Lisfranc), and 2nd-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland (meniscus) are all out.

Replacing them will include:

  • Chauncey Golston, a 4th-year player with five career sacks, who picked up a half sack last game while playing 90% of defensive snaps.
  • Tyrus Wheat, a 2nd-year player with 0.5 career sacks, who got a big jump in playing time last game with 60% of snaps.
  • Carl Lawson, a 7th-year player with 27.5 career sacks, who picked up a half sack last game while playing played 52% of snaps.

If Goff has a clean pocket, he can be deadly as evidenced by last Monday night when he went 18/18 for 292 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT.

Can the Cowboys generate a pass rush without their top edge players? If the Cowboys decide to send more blitzes, it will be interesting to watch how well the Lions pass protection handles it. In the Lions favor is the fact that their starting offensive line will be intact with the return of Frank Ragnow from a left pec strain.

How productive is the Lions edge rush opposite Aidan Hutchinson?

The Lions edge position opposite Hutchinson was a big question mark coming into the year and has become even bigger with the season-ending losses of Marcus Davenport and Derrick Barnes. How this position resolves itself may be the key determinant in the final destination of this team.

Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal, and James Houston received increased opportunities to fill that role last game. Which of these players can step up their game to become a consistent edge rusher?

All three have overcome eye-opening medical histories:

  • Onwuzurike has made an extraordinary, almost unprecedented recovery from L5-S1 spinal fusion surgery in October 2022.
  • Houston is coming back from a severe right ankle injury (suspected high ankle sprain) with a fibula fracture that wiped out 19 weeks of his 2023 season.
  • Paschal has one of the more unique histories having recovered from a life-threatening melanoma in his right foot.

If the edge players can’t generate pressure, we may see more action from the LB position. The starters are Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell, while Malcolm Rodriguez, Ben Niemann, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, and Trevor Nowaske have been getting significant snaps as well.

Rodriguez picked up a sack last week blitzing from the edge. Nowaske saw a lot of pass-rushing opportunities in limited time last game, and we may see much more of that vs the Cowboys.

Lions welcome back many injured players to practice

Lions welcome back many injured players to practice, including both starting cornerbacks

The Detroit Lions held a walkthrough practice on Sunday, a day after the home preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a low-key session, but one that saw a lot of the walking wounded return to action for Detroit.

Head coach Dan Campbell revealed a very positive participation report for the Sunday session during his Monday morning meeting with the media. All of the following players were back in action for the walkthrough:

CB Terrion Arnold

CB Carlton Davis

RB Jahmyr Gibbs

TE Sam LaPorta

LB Malcolm Rodriguez

RG Kevin Zeitler

It also marked the practice debut for DT DJ Reader, who was activated off the PUP list after missing all offseason recovering from a torn quadriceps tendon.

All of the returnees except Rodriguez are frontline players for the Lions. Getting them back and having solid practice time ahead of the Week 1 opener against the Los Angeles Rams is very good news.