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Dan Campbell Confirms Return of Injured Lions Stud for Divisional Round Game

By Richard Louis

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talks with reporters about the third day of OTAs Thursday, May 25, 2023. Near the end of the press conference Campbell had fun taking a few questions about his t-shirt with GM Brad Holmes on the front.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talks with reporters about the third day of OTAs Thursday, May 25, 2023. Near the end of the press conference Campbell had fun taking a few questions about his t-shirt with GM Brad Holmes on the front. / Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Detroit Lions sat through the Wild Card Round of games at home. They secured the No. 1 seed and will have everyone coming into Ford Field. The first team Detroit gets a crack at comes against the sixth-seed Washington Commanders on Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. EST.

The extra time off helped a Lions team that has been banged up with injuries all over the field. Head coach Dan Campbell spoke with team reporters on Monday and confirmed that running back David Montgomery will be back on the field.

Lions News: Dan Campbell Reveals the Importance of David Montgomery

Campbell praised Montgomery when speaking about the star tailback.

"It will mean a lot. He's a huge part of us. He's a bell cow. He's a tone setter, he's a catalyst. There's a place for him here and there's a place for him in this game."

- Dan Campbell

Montgomery suffered a torn MCL in the Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills and was believed to be done for the season at first. After getting other opinions, Montgomery decided to rehab instead of undergoing season-ending knee surgery. He found a way to make himself available for the postseason.

Campbell's statements on the Iowa State product are true. Montgomery is a bruising, physical, and downhill runner. His running style wears out defenses, putting opponents in a bind when Jahmyr Gibbs steps on the field.

In 14 games this season, the 27-year-old had 775 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He's spent the past month fighting to get back on the field and it appears he's being integrated into the gameplan.

Although he won't be 100% healthy, getting Montgomery out there will give his team a boost. The Lions have built a brick wall upfront and love to establish the ground game. The Lions finished the season sixth in the NFL in rushing offense (146.4).

They are facing a Commanders team that was 30th in run defense (137.5). Look for the Lions to lean heavily on the rushing attack and build play-action deep shots off of it.

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