DECEMBER 8: As Hutchinson’s rehab continues, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports the Lions remain hopeful a return in time for the NFC title game could be in play (video link). Plenty still needs to happen for that to become feasible, but having the team’s top edge rusher available prior to the Super Bowl would be crucial for Detroit’s defense.
DECEMBER 6: Aidan Hutchinson sightings during Lions games have become commonplace, and the star edge rusher continues to make progress. It now appears more likely than not the Lions maximizing their game count this season would involve a final-act cameo from Hutchinson.
Suffering a fractured fibula and tibia in Week 6, the third-year pass rusher is now walking without crutches and has progressed to running in a pool. This has created more optimism of a possible return before season’s end. Hutchinson’s recovery has reached the point that it appears the expectation is for him to play in Super Bowl LIX were Lions to qualify, Amazon’s Albert Breer notes.
We heard last month a Hutchinson Super Bowl reemergence was possible, but Breer offers a bit more in the direction of it being likely. This would be game-changing news for the Lions, though they obviously have work to do before this window could be open. It would now stand to reason Hutchinson’s IR-return window could open earlier in the playoffs, and it would be worth wondering if the timetable could include an NFC championship game.
That said, the Super Bowl featuring the bye week appears to loom as crucial for Hutchinson. Dan Campbell said in October that Hutchinson was looking at a four- to six-month recovery timetable. He went down Oct. 13; the Super Bowl is Feb. 9. The NFL’s season-ender coming at the front end of the recovery timeline points to Super Bowl-or-nothing for Hutchinson, though any return being in play would be a win for a Lions team gunning for its first No. 1 seed since home-field advantage became record-based in the mid-1970s.
The Packers consistently tested the Lions’ battered defense in the second half of a 34-31 thriller Thursday night. Detroit has seen Za’Darius Smith produce early; the trade acquisition has three sacks in four Lions games. But the team finished Thursday’s game without both its top D-tackles — D.J. Reader, Alim McNeill — and is not expected to have Marcus Davenport back this season. Linebackers Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez are all on IR. Barnes is not a lock to miss the entire season, and D-lineman John Cominsky could return in the playoffs. The Lions will need to save an injury activation for Hutchinson. They have five left, keeping a scenario in which Anzalone, Barnes, Cominsky and Hutchinson all return. Rodriguez suffered an ACL tear and is out for the year.
Gifted to the Lions after the Jaguars made a potential-over-production pick in Travon Walker to start the 2022 draft, the Michigan alum has become one of the NFL’s best defensive players early in his career. He was the early clubhouse leader for Defensive Player of the Year when he went down, having already registered an NFL-most 7.5 sacks and 17 QB hits — a year after leading the league in QB pressures — through five-plus games. The Lions still do not have another four-sack player, as McNeill leads all non-Hutchinson Lions with 3.5. Though, Smith has seven total sacks if his Browns games are included.
The Lions have plenty of work to do before the prospect of a Hutchinson re-emergence becomes real, but the 12-1 team has liked what is has seen from the soon-to-be extension-eligible EDGE’s rehab thus far.
It would be a cool moment. Not sure how effective he would be first game back like that though.
TO rocked in the SB against the Pats after recovering from a broken bone. Of course, McNabb puked going into the 2 minute offense to give Tom & Bill another ring.
So the Eagles with their 8 game win streak, #1 ranked defense and #3 ranked offense shouldn’t even be considered as the NFC SB representative? If I was Dark Star or Polish Hammer I would be a little ticked off at the bias shown here.
It’s all speculation at this point. Detroit is a great team, but crazy stuff happens when the playoffs start. I don’t agree with them basically crowning them NFC champs this early, either.
Every playoff team is at the mercy of bad officiating which always seems to reach a peak level of absurdity during the post season. Goodell rants about the “integrity of the game” while the officials work hard to manipulate game outcomes. It’s ludicrous!
Definitely not a lock, but I do feel great about getting them to win SB at +1300 preseason now that they are down to +250 or so lol.
I was glancing at the college playoff odds and apparently Indiana was originally listed at +200,000. They’re now down to about +4000 at a couple of books…lol.
Damn that is crazy!
Sam is getting a little ahead of himself here. It’s still a long way to the Super Bowl and a defense that just gave up 31 points will have to play a whole let better to get there.
Though they need the division and home-field, another loss before postseason would help them. Alot of pressure to keep a winning streak going that big.
Remember when TO came back for the Super Bowl in Jacksonville. He was the best player on the field. It would be the same with Hutchinson
The best player on the field that day was Rodney Harrison. Owens had a great game but no TDs and his biggest catch was from a patented Andy Reid pick play …