Detroit Lions bye week comes just in time for ailing Pride

After nearly pulling off an upset over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, the Detroit Lions enter into their bye week with several players dealing with injuries.

When previewing the Detroit Lions‘ upcoming schedule of opponents prior to the start of the regular season, the team’s Week Five bye appeared to be a critical point on the schedule. With three of their first four games coming against 2018 playoff teams, many figured the Lions would have a losing record going into their bye week. They were wrong.

If not for a fourth-quarter collapse against both the Arizona Cardinals and the Kansas City Chiefs, the Lions would have an undefeated record going into Week Five’s bye. Instead, Detroit has a record of 2-1-1 after losing in the final minute of the game to the Chiefs on Sunday afternoon. They also tied the Cardinals in overtime despite having a substantial lead in the fourth quarter.

Fortunately for Detroit, they did post two clutch victories against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Philadelphia Eagles. And the Lions now sit third in the NFC North, behind the 3-1 Green Bay Packers and last year’s divisional champions, the 3-1 Chicago Bears. The 2-2 Minnesota Vikings currently sit in the basement of the division.

But the standings in the NFC North could change while Detroit is on their bye week. The Packers are set to face the 3-1 Dallas Cowboys in Week Five. While the Bears are preparing to face the 2-2 Oakland Raiders. The Vikings will play the 2-2 New York Giants.

As for the Lions themselves, the bye week could have not come at a better time for the Pride. Several of Detroit’s players are dealing with injuries, including quarterback Matthew Stafford, who landed on the team’s injury report last week with a hip issue.

Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay and defensive tackle Mike Daniels both missed Sunday’s game against the Chiefs due to injuries. Slay suffered a hamstring injury against the Eagles while Daniel is dealing with a foot issue.

Wide receiver Danny Amendola was unable to play Sunday due to a chest injury. Second-year defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand has yet to make his 2019 debut due to an elbow injury.

During Sunday’s loss to Kansas City, first-round tight end T.J. Hockenson was carted off-the-field after suffering a devastating injury as he attempted to leap over a defender in the third quarter. He was later deemed unable to return to the contest due to a concussion and was reportedly in good spirits afterward.

As you can see, the Detroit Lions desperately needed this bye week just to get their roster healthy again as well as prepare for their big divisional battle with the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau in Week Six.