For the second straight week, the Detroit Lions only had a walkthrough practice on Wednesday. The expected participation estimates came, with tight end Sam LaPorta (shoulder) listed as a non-participant while left tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder) and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) were estimated as limited participants.
Wednesday practice reports aren't always that meaningful, especially this deep into a season with rest days in play for older players or players who've been dealing with a nagging injury.
Thursday practice reports, for good or bad, are usually more telling about player statuses for the coming game. The participation levels of LaPorta and Decker during Thursday's first "normal" practice of the week would be particularly notable for the Lions heading into Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
First meaningful Week 11 injury report for Lions has notable addition
Here is Thursday's practice report for the Lions. (NP=Non-participant, LP=Limited participant, FP=Full participant)
- TE Sam LaPorta (shoulder)-NP
- CB Carlton Davis (hand)-LP
- S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle/finger)-LP
- OT Taylor Decker (shoulder)-FP
- LB Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle)-FP
- DT Brodric Martin (knee)-FP
- CB Emmanuel Moseley (pectoral)-FP
On Monday, head coach Dan Campbell regarded LaPorta as "day to day" with some sort of AC joint issue in his shoulder. It's no surprise he has started the week with two missed practices, and before Friday's final injury report for the week Campbell may offer an indication about the second year tight end's status for Sunday.
Decker missed Week 10 against the Houston Texans with a shoulder injury. Full participation in Thursday's practice points toward him being good to go for Sunday.
The new addition to the Lions' injury on Thursday is Davis. It's a new injury, perhaps suffered during Thursday's practice (leaving him in a situation similar to Decker last week). He did leave last week's game very briefly, so maybe the issue was this injured hand. In any case, late/new additions to the injury report are never ideal.
Rodriguez has missed the last two games since suffering ankle injury early in Week 8. A full practice on Thursday is a good sign he'll be back in action this week.
Melifonwu has apparently added a finger injury to the ankle issue he's working his way back from. He has 12 day left in the 21-day window be activated from IR.
Moseley also has 12 days left in his 21-day evaluation window, but he was a full participant on Thursday and seems to be trending strongly toward being activated.
Martin is nearing the end of his 21-day window to come off IR, with five days remaining. Campbell's comments from around the time the second-year man's evaluation window was opened suggested the entire three weeks might be used before a decision to put him on the 53-man roster was made.
Here is the Thursday practice report for the Jaguars. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been ruled out for Sunday by head coach Doug Pederson.
- QB Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder)-DNP
- RB Tank Bigsby (ankle)-DNP
- RB D'Ernest Johnson (hamstring)-LP
- OG Brandon Scherff (knee)-LP
- DE Josh Hines-Allen (shoulder)-LP
- CB Tyson Campbell (shoulder)-LP
- WR Brian Thomas (chest)-LP
- WR Gabe Davis (hamstring)-LP
- OG Ezra Cleveland (ankle)-LP
- OL Blake Hance (knee)-LP
- DT Maason Smith (ankle)-LP
- S Daniel Thomas (hamstring-LP
- RB Keilan Robinson (toe)-FP (on IR)