Lions try to stay positive after losing Aidan Hutchinson to broken leg

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions should have been in a celebratory mood on Monday.

After all, they had just beaten the Dallas Cowboys 47-9, their most dominant performance of the Dan Campbell era. Fox broadcaster Tom Brady said he believed they were the best team in the NFC.

Instead, they are dealing with the broken leg suffered by star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson, the league’s best pass rusher this season, remained in the Dallas area on Monday to have surgery to repair his fractured tibia and fibula.

“The surgery went great — it is all good news — but man, Hutch is a captain for us, a highly productive player and a great teammate who does everything the right way,” Campbell said. “So, look, it hurts. It hurts to lose somebody like that — not only the player, but the person.”

The expected recovery time is 4 to 6 months, which would have Hutchinson ready to go for training camp in 2025. However, Campbell isn’t quite ready to write off his 2024 season.

“I would never count Hutch out,” he said. “Yeah, it is probably a long road ahead, but I would never say he can’t do it. If anyone can make it back, it’s him.”

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Even if Hutchinson makes it back in January, the Lions have to find a way to replace his pass rush for the next 12 games. The easy answer is to trade for someone like Raiders star Maxx Crosby, but Campbell doesn’t expect general manager Brad Holmes to rush into anything.

“(Injuries) come up every year, and Brad is always looking for ways to get better,” he said. “Is there someone out there who can potentially help us? At what cost? It has to be right — everything has to be right. Honestly, I believe in the guys that are here.

“We’re looking and we’re evaluating.”

What’s working

Quarterback Jared Goff followed up his perfect game against Seattle with another spectacular performance against the Cowboys. In the two games, Goff has completed 36 of 43 passes (83.7%) for five touchdowns and no interceptions — plus a touchdown catch against the Seahawks. And the Lions combined to score 89 points.

What needs help

Despite their best efforts, the Lions couldn’t get any of their offensive linemen into the end zone on Sunday. Still stinging from having Taylor Decker’s 2-point conversion last season at Dallas called back due to a disputed penalty, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson called a pass to Decker, a hook and lateral from Amon-Ra St. Brown to Penai Sewell and a screen pass to lineman Dan Skipper. Decker couldn’t hold on in the end zone, Sewell’s catch was called back due to another penalty, and backup quarterback Hendon Hooker got sacked before he could get the ball to Skipper.

Stock up

CB Terrion Arnold, Detroit’s first-round pick in 2024, had been plagued all season by penalties. Against the Cowboys, he wasn’t flagged and helped hold CeeDee Lamb to seven catches for 89 yards on 14 targets.

Injuries

On the same drive that Hutchinson was injured, CB Carlton Davis left the game with a head injury. Davis, though, passed through the concussion protocol and will be able to practice this week.

Key number

251 — The total yards gained by Dallas. In Lions’ 42-29 win over Seattle, the defense gave up 516 yards and it appeared Detroit’s secondary was going to be a significant problem. It didn’t look that way against the Cowboys.

Next steps

Find a way to get past the Hutchinson injury and beat the undefeated Vikings on the road.

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