Lions
Lions RB Kerryon Johnson averaged double-digit carries his first two seasons but he also missed significant chunks of both years with injuries. This year, Johnson is seeing just 3.6 carries per game in a three-way timeshare with Adrian Peterson and second-round rookie D’Andre Swift. But Johnson says it’s worth it because of how healthy he feels.
“Last year I felt like I played a whole season and I played seven games [actually eight games],” Johnson said via ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. “Just from the first five or whatever before I hurt my knee. Just with the games, with the fall camp, with the summer, with the practices week to week, mentally, physically I was already toast. I don’t have that same feeling this year. I don’t think Swift does. I don’t think AP does. So I’ve always been a fan of the running back by committee type thing and we finally got that here and it’s working out very well for us.”
Packers
The Packers medical staff is notoriously conservative, so the calf injury that kept RB Aaron Jones out for two games might not have sidelined him on another team. But Jones says that while his nature was to want to play, the extended absence was good for him in the long run.
“I definitely do think it was beneficial,” Jones said via Packers News. “If it was up to me, any athlete, we’re competitors and we want to get out there and compete with our brothers, but that’s why you have team doctors and training staff. So they make sure you’re not putting yourself at risk, and that you’re there to play all the games in the season and there to help your team in the long run.”
- Packers HC Matt LaFleur said LT David Bakhtiari is “trending in the right direction” but still might not return from his chest injury this week: “It comes down to his ability to go out there and function and protect himself and not get any worse.” (Rob Demovsky)
- Per LaFleur, the Packers could also get WR Allen Lazard and LB Christian Kirksey back as soon as this Sunday against the Jaguars or the week after: “As soon as they’re ready to go, they’ll be out there on the field.” (Demovsky)
Vikings
- Per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, Vikings HC Mike Zimmer didn’t rule out CB Holton Hill missing the rest of the season after going on injured reserve with a foot injury: “It’s been going on a lot longer than we anticipate so we’ll just have to wait and see.”
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