The Detroit Lions’ injury woes on defense continued Sunday, with the team losing two cornerbacks in the first half of their 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Carlton Davis III and Khalil Dorsey were both injured in separate incidents and exited the game early.
While specifics for either aren’t yet known, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after the game that he thought Davis’ “could be season-ending.” Defensive lineman Alim McNeill went out with a knee injury in the game, too, which Campbell thought could knock him out for the rest of the season, too.
Davis went into the locker room first, and underwent concussion protocol while being evaluated for a jaw injury. Davis was originally questionable to return before he was later downgraded to out.
But worse was Dorsey, who was carted off the field with a lower leg injury in the second quarter. Dorsey’s left foot was bent back at an awkward angle during a collision near the end zone, and was eventually strapped to a backboard and carted into the locker room with an aircast on his left leg. The entire team gathered on the field while Dorsey was being evaluated.
Dorsey was officially ruled out with an ankle injury shortly afterward.
It marks two more major blows to a Lions defense that has already been decimated by injuries. Detroit has a slew of defensive players on injured reserve, including third-year defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who broke his leg in October. More than three quarters of the team’s injured players are from the defensive side.
The Bills led the Lions 21-14 at halftime, and then held on late to grab the six-point win. That pushed them to 11-3 on the season. Josh Allen, who ran in a pair of touchdowns himself in the first quarter, threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns in the win. James Cook added 105 yards and two scores on the ground, and Ty Johnson had 114 yards on five catches.
Jared Goff, despite falling short of the win, still racked up 494 yards and threw for five touchdowns for the Lions. Amon-Ra St. Brown racked up 193 yards and a touchdown on 14 catches. The loss was just the second of the season for the Lions, who are now tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the best record in the NFC.