Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery was “out indefinitely” after injuring his MCL against the Buffalo Bills on December 15. Luckily, the 27-year-old avoided surgery and could be available for the NFC Divisional round.

Detroit head coach Dan Campbell “expects” Montgomery to play, via Lions insider Tim Twentyman.

Montgomery's return is crucial for the team, as the power back is the thunder to Jahmyr Gibbs' lightning in the backfield. The 5-foot-11, 224-pounder finished the regular season with 775 rushing yards on 185 carries (4.2 average) and 12 touchdowns along with 36 catches for 341 receiving yards across 14 games.

Campbell initially said that Montgomery needed season-ending surgery, but the veteran tailback received better news after getting a second opinion, via NBC Sports' Michael David Smith.

Will “Monty's” return help Detroit (15-2) win its first-ever Super Bowl?

Dan Campbell, Lions must be smart in playoffs

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Campbell is known for being aggressive on fourth down. That aggression isn't reckless, though, as Detroit makes the most analytically sound fourth-down decisions in the NFL, via The Athletic's Ben Baldwin.

In the playoffs, however, every mistake is magnified. Going for it on fourth is cool when it works, but if the Lions' season ends prematurely due to multiple turnovers on downs, it won't look good for Campbell and company.

With that being said, the goal should be to not have to rely on fourth-down conversions in the first place. Detroit will be best off if it takes care of the ball and controls the clock through Gibbs and Montgomery.

The Lions will face the winner of the NFC Wild Card game between the Los Angeles Rams (10-7) and Minnesota Vikings (14-3). The first-round bye is a godsend for Detroit, as it gives time for players like offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler (hamstring) and cornerback Terrion Arnold (foot contusion) to heal, via Sports Illustrated's Christian Booher.

“We got better news on Zeitler and Arnold,” Campbell said. “I can't guarantee that they're playing, but it's much better than it appeared to be when the injuries happened. So it's positive news.”