The Detroit Lions are now in the most important stretch of the season. Unfortunately, their end-of-the-year outlook took a massive hit on Thanksgiving with a 31-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers at home. Now, it's up to head coach Dan Campbell to motivate his team enough to turn things around before it's too late.
This will be no easy task for the Lions, who own the fourth-hardest remaining schedule, per Tankathon. They will need everyone to step it up if they’re to have a chance of making it to the playoffs. While some unlikely heroes will be given chances to step up down the stretch, one who might not see many opportunities is defensive end Josh Paschal, who was inactive in Thursday's loss, per A to Z Sports’ Mike Payton.
Josh Paschal’s Time with Lions Likely Over Week 13 Absence
The announcement that Paschall wasn’t going to be activated was surprising, given that he had been consistently practicing since his 21-day evaluation window opened up. Perhaps Paschal suffered a setback with his back injury and will not help the Lions’ playoff push, as the coaching staff might not want to risk rushing him and worsening his situation.
The news is disappointing on multiple fronts. For one, the Lions’ defense has battled through injuries all year and could’ve used Paschal to bolster their depth. Although the unit has survived the losses so far, the defense could've benefited from Paschal’s skill set as a run defender.
Last year, Paschal received a 62.5 run grade per Pro Football Focus, ranking 59th out of 121 edge rushers. Without him, the Lions are thin at depth on the defensive line, with four defensive linemen sidelined and forced to rely on their current group for the time being.
Behind starters Al-Quadin Muhammad and Hutchinson, the Lions are depending on Marcus Davenport, who was just activated to the active roster on Wednesday, Tyrus Wheat, who’s played just 28 defensive snaps before Week 13, and Tyler Lacy, who missed Thanksgiving, too.
On the flip side, Paschal is in the final year of his rookie contract, and considering where he was drafted, he was expected to serve as a quality defensive end alongside Hutchinson for the foreseeable future. He's been a complete bust for the Lions so far, accumulating just 62 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and five sacks through 36 games. That's just not enough production to justify a new deal, especially when he hasn't played yet this season.
Unless the situation flips on its head soon, all signs point to Paschal’s tenure with the Lions likely being over.