The Lions secured the #1 seed along with the valuable bye but it wasn’t without some injury concerns.
Potential losses for next game:
- Terrion Arnold
- Pat O’Connor
- Kevin Zeitler
Potential additions for next game:
- David Montgomery
- Ennis Rakestraw (unlikely)
Here are the injuries I saw in the Vikings game on my initial watch along with suspected diagnoses:
Jahmyr Gibbs – wind, 2q 13:50
Gibbs took a hard shot to abdomen. After being hunched over for a few seconds, he popped up quickly. He left the game briefly but returned in the next drive. There is a good chance he just had the wind knocked out. No issues the rest of the game and no concerns going forward.
Jahmyr Gibbs abdomen video
-2qtr. Left briefly, returned next drive, looked fine
-Hope just wind. Rib injury possible. pic.twitter.com/XTuncVxKk2— Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) January 6, 2025
Brian Branch – hit to head, 2q 12:33
Branch took a jarring hit to his helmet which put him at risk for a concussion. He got up afterwards shaking his head which was concerning, but there were no other signs of concussion on video (loss of consciousness, ataxia, dazed). He finished the game without issue.
Delayed concussion symptoms are possible but unlikely, and he should be fine for next game. Even if he had a concussion, he’d likely be available in two weeks for the next game.
Brian Branch takes a shot to the helmet in 2q
-No definitive concussion signs on video but was shaking head afterwards.
-Stayed in game
-Hope no delayed concussion symptoms pic.twitter.com/WSANyyE6nc— Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) January 6, 2025
Pat O’Connor – calf strain, 3q 12:06
This injury may have occurred off-screen as nothing was obvious on video. Officially he is listed with a calf which likely means a calf strain. He did not return to the game. His return will depend on severity.
Pat O’Connor calf injury video
-Officially a calf. Can’t see much on vid though.
-Appeared to me reaching for right leg. pic.twitter.com/J7EAJEArYC— Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) January 6, 2025
Terrion Arnold – right foot sprain, 3q 11:35
This injury was interesting because there were confusing signs at first. He initially reached for the left ankle area. Video did show a left ankle external rotation which could have caused a high ankle sprain. However, the official report was a foot. Here is the video focusing on the left ankle/foot.
Terrion Arnold left foot injury video
-External rotation of ankle worries for high ankle sprain but officially a foot pic.twitter.com/UxUiVTxEtJ— Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) January 6, 2025
Subsequently, there was was video of him carted off nursing his right foot as well as a sideline report by Melissa Stark that it was indeed a right-sided injury.
A re-look at the video showed that the right foot landed hard, and then his teammate’s leg landed on the heel which crunched and twisted his foot.
Terrion Arnold right foot injury video
-Comes down hard with hyperextended toes and foot also twists
-Hope just mild hyperextended toes (turf toe) pic.twitter.com/szb3121vLR— Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) January 6, 2025
A toe hyperextension (turf toe) is a possibility, but more likely, this is a foot sprain.
X-rays after the game were reported by Dan Campbell to be negative. This is reassuring but doesn’t rule out a subtle, occult fracture, so he’ll likely have further imaging today.
He was seen in a boot in the locker room which is used to avoid further aggravation and does not necessarily signify something serious.
In many locker room videos, Arnold was in great spirits which along with the negative X-ray are reassuring early signs. It’s possible he could be available next game.
Levi Onwuzurike – right ankle, 4q 11:50.
The injury may have occurred off-screen as the video didn’t show anything. He appeared to be reaching for his right ankle which was already heavily wrapped. I looked back and the ankle wrap was not present on the first drive of the game, but showed up on the second drive. I didn’t see any obvious ankle injury on video during that first drive.
He also was wearing a right knee brace all game but looking back over the season, this was present last game as well as in the first game of the season.
He finished the game so hopefully this means the injury is mild.
Levi Onwuzurike R leg injury video
-Uncertain injury. May have occurred offscreen. Appears to be reaching for R ankle. Already a R knee brace and R ankle wrap so may have aggravated existing injury.
-Returned to game pic.twitter.com/r08Tt8nUCN— Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) January 6, 2025
Kevin Zeitler – right hamstring strain, 4q 3:52
Zeitler pulled up reaching for his right hamstring. He had a heavy limp on the sideline and did not return to the game although there were only a few garbage time plays left. He’ll likely get an MRI and his return will depend on severity.
Kevin Zeitler right hamstring injury video
-Heavy limp afterwards. Did not return.
-Return depends on severity. Could be multiple weeks. pic.twitter.com/cuJmhxAFqi— Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) January 6, 2025
NOTABLES
Alex Anzalone played 98% of snaps and looked good. Lions typically don’t ease their players back and this was no exception.
Emmanuel Moseley on Saturday before the game was placed on the NFI (non-football injury) list. He had been out with an illness all week. This likely ends his season that was sabotaged by a pec rupture in training camp. He appeared in only 2 games.
