The Detroit Lions are making plans for their offensive game plan in Week 4 around one key player’s injury, per a report Thursday morning. The Lions will play the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night in a matchup that will give the winner a head start in the NFC North race.
Both teams have several key offensive starters battling injuries. The Packers ruled out two offensive linemen and starting linebacker De’Vondre Campbell for the contest. The Packers expect wide receiver Christian Watson and running back Aaron Jones to play Thursday night.
The Lions were unsure about starting running back David Montgomery’s status against the Packers early this week. Head coach Dan Campbell said he felt good about Montgomery’s progress, but the Lions listed Montgomery as questionable to play on their Wednesday injury report.
The Detroit Lions will play David Montgomery
According to a report by Tom Pelissero with the NFL Network, the Lions plan to feature Montgomery as the starting running back. However, the Lions are altering their game plan due to his injury.
“My understanding is Montgomery will be the lead back, but they still have a lot of things in the gameplan for rookie Jahmyr Gibbs as well,” Pelissero said.
Take 2: #Lions RB David Montgomery will play tonight and be the lead back vs. the #Packers, though there’s plenty in the game plan for rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, too. Meanwhile, RB Aaron Jones and WR Christian Watson return for the banged-up #Packers. @gmfb @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/aAh5G0t2xF
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 28, 2023
Montgomery should get some carries, but it appears he won’t have a heavy workload for the Lions against the Packers. It’ll be interesting to see if the Lions use Montgomery as a pass blocker.
One would expect to see Gibbs featured in the passing game. Gibbs has a unique skill set, but the first-round pick isn’t the every down running back Montgomery is. The packages the Lions use tonight could be a surprise to Packers defensive Joe Barry’s defense.
But can the Lions run that type of offense efficiently in Week 4 for it to matter?
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