If rookie offensive tackle Blake Miller can't play in Week 2, the Detroit Lions have a backup plan ready. And he might be the perfect choice for this particular assignment.
The Lions play the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, Sept. 17, at the new Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, with starting right tackle Miller sitting out practice on Tuesday with a knee injury. Lions coach Dan Campbell hasn't ruled Miller out of the game, and though Miller said he was doing "everything I humanly can" to be ready for Thursday's game, there's a decent chance he won't suit up.
In Miller's place would likely be Detroit native Larry Borom, who the Lions signed in the offseason as a depth addition to a retooled offensive line. The six-year veteran played his first four seasons
for the Chicago Bears before playing for the Miami Dolphins in 2025 – and as a resident of the AFC East, played the Bills twice last season.
Heading into Detroit's Thursday night matchup against the Bills, he may have the best knowledge in the Lions locker room of what challenge Buffalo's defensive line offers.
"They play physical," he said on Tuesday after practice. "[Greg] Rousseau, he has long, physical hands, and so they pose problems. They play hard. They're a good group."
"Good" is maybe underselling it.
Campbell called the defensive line the "catalyst" of the Bills' defense, and it's easy to see why. The Bills recorded nine hits on Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in their 36-31 Week 1 victory on Sunday, five of those coming from Rousseau – including the strip-sack in the final minute of the game that sealed Buffalo's win.
Rousseau would be a tough matchup for most NFL tackles, much less a rookie like Miller. But Borom brings not just a veteran presence to the line, but recent experience against a strong Buffalo side, starting and playing in every offensive snap for the Dolphins in their Week 3 loss and their Week 10 win against the Bills last season.
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And with Borom getting some playing time (nine snaps) for the Lions in their Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints, he has already gotten his feet wet in regular-season action with Detroit. He says he'll be ready if called upon.
"You gotta prepare like you're playing," he said. "It's all about being a professional. Just because you're not a starter, you can [still] go in at any moment. It's kind of the mindset I've had, always."
If he starts, Borom won't be alone trying to keep Rousseau, Ed Oliver and the rest of the Bills defense away from Lions quarterback Jared Goff. His linemate Penei Sewell expressed full confidence in Borom's abilities on Tuesday.
"One-hundred percent," Sewell said. "When you're out there and you got that jersey on and we're counting on you, there's no drop off."
One thing that Sewell and Borom have in common is a position switch, with Sewell going from right tackle to left tackle this season and Borom bouncing around between the two positions throughout his career. Borom – who said he never played left tackle before he got into the league – compared playing the opposite side at first to trying to write with his non-dominant hand.
"You have to change your whole body mechanics, especially if you're someone who has done it a lot just one side. Going to the other side can pose some challenges," he said.
If he gets his number called in Buffalo and plays well, Borom might be asked to take more snaps on whichever side of the line he ends up on. And for the former Birmingham Brother Rice star, getting more shine at Ford Field is something he won't turn down.
"It's crazy, it's wild," he said of the atmosphere for his first game as a Lion. "Even when I was in Chicago coming here, [even] growing up, I didn't remember it being this loud. It was definitely great."
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Blake Miller might not play vs Bills, but Lions have perfect backup
