The Detroit Lions suffered a few injuries during their game against the Washington Commanders, and it was mixed news for the entire crew. Let’s break them down one by one.
RB Sione Vaki
Vaki was a surprise scratch from Saturday’s game, but Lions coach Dan Campbell assured the media that the third-year running back is dealing with minor back spasms and they are not concerned about it.
“It’s not major, but it’s enough to where it’s one of those back spasms where we were hoping we could get it out of there, give him
some stuff, and hopefully loosen it out. We just ran out of time,” Campbell said.
Campbell said they expect him back out there for practice this upcoming week, and while they wanted to see him in the preseason game, they’re happy with the work he got in last week’s set of practices and didn’t want to push it.
“He got some really good work coming off of a broken nose, a punched-out eye, and so I’m like, ‘I think we’re good, Vaki, for a little bit here’,” Campbell said. “But we’ll get this to calm down. He’ll be ready to practice this week, I anticipate. So I think we’ll be okay.”
RB Jabari Small
Jabari Small was having a strong preseason game against the Commanders, rushing for 16 yards on three carries, but was pulled from the game and is in concussion protocol, per Campbell.
“He’s getting checked. He kinda got dinged there. So concussion protocol,” Campbell said.
That left Trayveon Williams and Raheem Blackshear to carry the ball for most of the second half, and the reserve duo impressed as well. Together, they rushed for 21 carries, 65 yards and a touchdown.
“Pretty good, huh?” Campbell said of the running back performances on Saturday. “I mean, those guys ran hard. They ran hard.”
C Michael Niese
We did not get a direct update from Dan Campbell on Niese, who left the game after just one snap—a successful screen play in which Niese had a key lead block. However, Niese was on crutches in the locker room after the game.
In his spot, Seth McLaughlin finished the game at center.
WR Cedrick Wilson Jr.
Unfortunately, it appears Wilson got the short end of the injury stick. The veteran receiver left in the first half of the game, and while Campbell said they were still evaluating his knee injury, he wasn’t feeling good about it.
“I don’t know for sure. I’m worried. I’m worried on that one,” Campbell said. “I love Wilson, man. He’s just (a) smart, crafty football player, gets it, can play all the spots as a receiver, special teams. And I don’t know. We’re getting that knee looked at. We don’t know, but I’ll leave it at that.”
Wilson was in competition for the Lions’ fifth and/or sixth receiver spot on the roster. If his injury does turn out to be long-term, Detroit will need some of their depth—Tay Martin, Dominic Lovett, Lucky Jackson, among others—to step up.
