Coming off a rough Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Detroit Lions received some good news on the injury front when they returned to practice on Wednesday.
According to Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News, second-year cornerback Terrion Arnold was one of two players who practiced in full capacity. Arnold sustained a groin injury in last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
Terrion Arnold Takes Immediate First Step Towards Playing in Week 2
Anytime a player leaves the game with a soft-tissue issue, the immediate concern is how long the player will be out. And the severity of the injury. The fact that the former first-round pick is back at practice on Wednesday is a good sign heading into Week 2.
If Arnold didn't practice today, then the Lions would have to start thinking about possibly starting backup Khalil Dorsey.
Before exiting last week’s game against Green Bay, the second-year defensive back played 23 defensive snaps.
Arnold struggled in pass coverage, allowing four completions on six targets for 86 yards and a touchdown. According to Pro Football Focus, the young cornerback posted a 54.5 coverage grade (16 pass coverage snaps).
But if there was a silver lining from his performance, it was run defense, where he had a 78.4 grade on seven run defense snaps. If Arnold doesn’t have a setback over the next two days, it will solve one issue for the Lions.
Detroit’s next game will be against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, which has a solid WR core that features D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Luther Burden III. If you’re the Lions, you want Arnold on the field to match up against Moore and Odunze specifically.
Last year against the Bears, Arnold was outstanding in the first meeting, allowing one reception on six targets for six yards. However, in the second meeting, the Bears went after Arnold, who allowed four receptions on eight targets for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Nonetheless, if he can play, this will be a big test for Arnold and the Lions’ defense. They got outplayed last week against the Packers, who put Detroit’s flaws on the big screen. Let’s see if Arnold can help this defense get back on track this weekend.