It was a somber victory for the Detroit Lions on Sunday as the injury bug finally caught up to the surprisingly healthy (and getting healthier) Lions.
Among those many injuries was center Cade Mays, whose ankle injury in the second quarter knocked him out for the remainder of the game.
Luckily, the Lions had depth at the center position in the form of possibly the best center of 2026, Juice Scruggs. And Sunday is precisely why the Lions are better off keeping Scruggs past the upcoming trade deadline and maybe even beyond.
The argument in favor of trading Scruggs was simple: Mays is back and was intended to be the starting center from the get-go. Scruggs, an unrestricted free agent after this season, had nowhere else on the line to go with guards Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany playing well. Ergo, a sell high move could land the Lions a strong return from a center-needy team, while the offensive line remains strong.
The argument against it was even more simple: Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
At the time of Mays' injury, which happened to be the same play quarterback Jared Goff threw his first interception on the season, the Lions' run-game was silent, rushing for 23 yards at the time. The longest rush being 12-yards and the second-longest rush being three yards. The O-line had also given up three sacks.
It took a little time for the O-line and the run-game to get going after Scruggs replaced Mays, as Goff was sacked on the following drive in a three-and-out, but a 19-yard rush up the middle from running back Jahmyr Gibbs toward the end of the half set the tone for the second half.
After Scruggs replaced Mays, the Lions rushed for 207 yards, while Goff was sacked that one time. The Lions wore down the Vikings' blitz-happy defense, and over the course of the game, those rushes from Gibbs and Sione Vaki got longer and longer.
Much of that was creativity in offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's scheme, but it was evident the Lions' offense, and especially the run-game, flowed better after Scruggs entered the game.
Two starting centers are better than none
The idea behind starting Mays was that he was a better pass-blocker than Scruggs, and while his run-blocking left a bit to be desired, he was a strong people-mover in the gap. In theory, that increases the chances of an explosive run play out of Gibbs.
In practice, it's clear that Mays still needs his "preseason reps" to fulfill that vision, and sending him out as the clear-cut starter against the Vikings and the Green Bay Packers might not have been the correct play.
Despite showing some promise, and the two wins in his starts, Mays could now miss some time after his ankle injury. Even if he misses zero time and is back to starting Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, his injury should be enough of a scare to end any talk of a Scruggs trade, if there were any in the Lions' front office to begin with.
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O-line depth is a rare commodity, and it's a luxury the Lions should take full advantage of this season. In recent years, this team has gone as far as their O-line will take them. With arguably the best O-line in the league again, with added depth so long as Mays doesn't miss significant time, this O-line can take the Lions further than they've ever been.
Scruggs may be the most valuable trade piece a contender could part with to upgrade another position, but Sunday showed Scruggs is more valuable to the Lions as the starting center going forward.
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