The Detroit Lions' defense will have their hands full in Week 3 when they go on the road to face the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night. Through the first two weeks of the season, the Ravens have put up more points than any team in the league on the back of their back-to-back 40-point outputs. That is why the Lions desperately need to be healthy and have their full complement of players on that end of the field.
Unfortunately, that may not be the case for Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. On Thursday, the Lions continued to practice without linebacker Jack Campbell and EDGE Marcus Davenport. To make matters worse, things have begun to look shaky on the secondary, with both Kerby Joseph and DJ Reed getting listed as limited participants on the injury report. Both defenders were listed with knee ailments that kept them from being full participants.
Lions Desperately Need DJ Reed in Week 3
While knee issues have been nagging Joseph since training camp, this is a new situation for Reed. Through two weeks, the former Jets starter played over 90% of defensive snaps for Detroit without showing much health concern. Yet, perhaps this injury may help explain some of his early-season struggles, as Reed has yet to register a pass breakup or an interception, and has received a 54.2 defensive grade on Pro Football Focus. The 28-year-old cornerback's coverage grade of 30.5 in Week 1 against the Packers was particularly concerning.
Regardless of how much Reed may have struggled so far, the Lions will desperately need him out there on Monday to have a chance to slow down the Ravens' offense. WR Zay Flowers is off to an incredible start for Baltimore, putting up 14 catches, 218 receiving yards, and a touchdown. Add DeAndre Hopkins' unexpected hot start, and Rashod Bateman's ability to always be a scoring threat, and you have one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the league, in addition to deploying Derrick Henry in the ground game.
If Reed can't go, it will mean that Rock Ya-Sin and Khalil Dorsey will see an increased role. Ya-Sin hasn't covered himself in glory in the limited opportunities he has gotten over the last two seasons between the 49ers and the Lions. Dorsey has very limited experience, and how effective he can be against his former team would be a big question mark.
That is why Lions fans must hope that Reed's injury is nothing serious and he can get on the field in Week 3. Otherwise, Detroit's odds of coming away with the road win will take a big hit.