The Detroit Lions have a short week and several important injuries to sort through before Thursday night.
Christian Mahogany and Blake Miller were listed as non-participants for the second consecutive day Tuesday, while offensive lineman Juice Scruggs remained limited. Detroit also added cornerback D.J. Reed to the Week 2 report with a foot injury.
The Lions have not issued final game designations yet. Detroit conducted walkthroughs Monday and Tuesday, so those participation levels were estimates; Wednesday’s practice and final report should provide the clearest indication of who will actually be available against Buffalo.
Christian Mahogany’s Hip Is the Biggest Concern
Mahogany is dealing with a hip injury suffered during Detroit’s 31-30 overtime win over New Orleans.
He left during the first quarter and did not return, with Ben Bartch taking over most of the remaining work. Head coach Dan Campbell said earlier this week that Mahogany’s status was more concerning than Miller’s as the Lions try to recover on a condensed schedule.
That puts Detroit in a potentially difficult spot against Buffalo.
The Lions want Jahmyr Gibbs and the running game to remain the foundation of the offense, but doing so becomes more difficult if the interior line is forced to shuffle pieces only four days after playing an overtime game.
Blake Miller Has a Better Chance to Play
Miller is managing a knee injury and has also been listed as a non-participant on both estimated reports.
Campbell said Miller has a better chance of being available Thursday than Mahogany, though the short week makes recovery especially difficult. If Miller cannot go, veteran Larry Borom is expected to be the primary option at right tackle.
That matchup matters because Buffalo is coming off a game in which its defense produced multiple critical late pressures against Houston.
Protecting Jared Goff becomes significantly more difficult if Detroit is forced to replace starters at multiple offensive-line positions.
Juice Scruggs Remains Limited
Scruggs has been limited on both reports because of a knee injury.
Unlike Mahogany and Miller, he has at least been listed as participating in some capacity, which gives Detroit more reason for optimism.
The Lions would prefer to avoid changing multiple spots simultaneously on a line that already had several moving pieces entering the season.
D.J. Reed Added With Foot Injury
The newest development involves Reed.
Detroit’s veteran cornerback was not listed Monday, but appeared Tuesday as a limited participant because of a foot issue.
That is worth monitoring because the Lions are preparing for a Buffalo passing game that produced 334 yards from Josh Allen in Week 1, including 130 receiving yards from Dalton Kincaid and 100 from DJ Moore.
Detroit does not want to enter that matchup with uncertainty in the secondary.
Christian Izien, meanwhile, has been listed as a full participant while dealing with a groin issue.
Buffalo Has Injury Questions Too
The Bills are not completely healthy either.
Defensive lineman T.J. Sanders was listed as a non-participant, while Terrel Bernard, Cole Bishop and Ty Johnson were limited. Bradley Chubb and Jordan Hancock were full participants.
Those statuses could matter significantly if Detroit’s offensive line remains compromised.
Mahogany is the name I would watch most closely.
Campbell already sounded less optimistic about him than Miller, and back-to-back non-participation estimates on a short week make Thursday a difficult turnaround.
Miller appears to have a more realistic path.
Reed is the wildcard because his foot injury only appeared Tuesday.
Detroit does not need everyone at 100 percent.
But against Josh Allen in Buffalo, the Lions cannot afford to enter Thursday night thin both up front and in the secondary.
Wednesday’s final injury report should tell us exactly how compromised Detroit will be.
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