The Detroit Lions will have a drastically different starting lineup across their offensive line when they face off against the Chicago Bears on Saturday afternoon.
The Detroit Lions will be playing a dangerous game on Saturday. Not only will they be facing a divisional rival, the Chicago Bears, with their already slim playoff hopes hanging in the balance, but the Lions have been forced to shuffle their already suspect offensive line due to various injuries.
With the release of their final injury report on Thursday, the Lions announced they have already ruled out starting center Travis Swanson and starting right tackle Ricky Wagner for the Week 15 matchup due to injuries.
Wagner has been dealing with an ankle injury that also kept him out of the Lions’ Week 14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The free agent signee from this offseason had played 12 games straight in the Motor City before missing last week’s contest in Florida.
As for Swanson, the fourth-year lineman, who is scheduled to become a free agent at season’s end, went into concussion protocol earlier in the week.
With both Swanson and Wagner already ruled out, and starting right guard T.J. Lang questionable with a foot injury, the Lions are being forced to shuffle three different players around in order to compensate. That doesn’t bode well for the overall play of Detroit’s offensive line on Saturday against a Bears team that’s currently ranked 11th in total defense and ninth in total team sacks (35.0).
In order to fill-in for their losses, Detroit will move left guard Graham Glasgow to center to replace Swanson. Corey Robinson will fill-in at starting right tackle for Wagner. And reserve Joe Dahl will be promoted to the starting lineup to replace Glasgow at left guard.
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The Detroit Lions’ offensive line has received heavy criticism this season, with the team currently ranking dead last in rushing offense and quarterback Matthew Stafford already being sacked 39 times this year, that’s tied for second-most in the NFL. Who knows? Maybe this O-line shuffle will actually be an improvement. Here’s hoping!