The Detroit Lions have had a pretty solid start to their season. Save for a stumble in their Week 1 game to the Green Bay Packers, it's been smooth sailing for the team so far. They're gearing up to face a Cincinnati Bengals team that, despite their 2-2 record, is in a bad position.
Detroit are heavy favorites to win their Week 5 game against Cincinnati. However, one of their key players seems to not be in shape to play just yet. Lions left tackle Taylor Decker was downgraded to doubtful on their injury list ahead of Week 5, according to Tom Pelissero.
Decker's injury is a shoulder ailment that's bothered him from the start of the season. The Lions left tackle has been able to play through the injury so far this season. However, this is the first time that Decker was downgraded from questionable to doubtful. There's still a chance that Decker suits up in Week 5, but the chances are now slimmer with the designation.
“I think it’s something that I’m going to have to deal with a lot for a good portion of the year, but we have a plan in place right now,” Decker told reporters earlier this week. “We do have a plan in place for what we’re going to do moving forward to try and mitigate having to deal with it. Because I don’t think—whatever the plan has to be, that’s fine. But I don’t want to not have to practice and not be able to do all the lifts I need to do the entire season.”
Losing Decker, the Lions' best left tackle, is a bit rough. The Bengals defense has not been good this season, but pass rusher Trey Hendrickson is one of the lone bright spots in Cincinnati. The rest of Detroit's elite offensive line should be able to pick up the slack, but their chances of winning are just a tad bit lower now that Decker is extremely unlikely to suit up.
