The smoke has finally cleared following the Nickelback halftime performance but the Lions are still seeking playoff picture clarity. The Thanksgiving day throttling at the hands of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers was another reminder that Detroit will have to make the most out of the upcoming slate, particularly the games with Minnesota, San Diego and Oakland.
The Lions will look to get back in the win column Sunday night in New Orleans as they take on the Saints and NFL passing yardage leader Drew Brees. Detroit could be without star defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh assuming a suspension comes down from the league for his Black Friday shopper-like antics, the stomp on Green Bay offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith's arm. Speculation is that Suh will be handed at least a 2 game suspension considering the precedent set with the 5 game punishment for Albert Haynesworth's infamous head stomp of Andre Gurode. Suh would likely have an opportunity to appeal and play on Sunday depending on the timeline of the league's announcement. Regardless of league action, Suh has his work cut out for him shedding the "dirtiest player in the NFL" label.
Detroit is also dealing with some injury fallout from Thursday's whitewash. New starting running back Kevin Smith suffered a high ankle sprain and will likely be out Sunday meaning Maurice Morris is in line for another start barring a miraculous recovery by Jahvid Best or Smith. Smith downplayed the severity of the injury saying he was fine but couldn't cut without discomfort. Starting safety Louis Delmas injured his knee against the Pack and he expects to miss "a few weeks." Top corner Chris Houston also didn't finish Thursday's game due to a leg injury and his status is up in the air for next week.
The Lions now stand at 7-4 and are rapidly approaching must-win territory. Their main wild card competition, Atlanta and the NY Giants head into today's games at 6-4 while Chicago is 7-3. The Falcons square off against the Vikings today and travel to Houston next week to test Matt Leinart and the Texans. The Giants head to New Orleans for Monday Night Football, then host undefeated Green Bay in week 13, while the Bears are in Oakland today and face off with Kansas City in a battle of backup quarterbacks at Soldier Field next week.
Congratulations are in order for Calvin Johnson who continues to pile up the stats, as he has eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving for the 3rd time in his 5 year career. Megatron now sits at 63 catches for 1,023 yards on the year, only needing 16 more catches and 309 more yards to set personal bests in each category. His next touchdown catch will also set a career high at 13.
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