Daily Dlp 12-18: Early Injury Look vs Steelers

DLP Daily 12-18

Week 16 arrives with the Detroit Lions hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final home game of the season. The Lions are coming off a loss to the Rams. The tone inside Allen Park is urgency and triage. The Detroit Lions Podcast daily hit centered on injuries and roles, because this matchup turns on who is available as much as how they play.

The opponent profile matters. Pittsburgh arrives with an Aaron Rodgers led offense that is not pushing the ball deep. The Steelers wide receivers lack speed. That tilts the coverage plan toward staying on top, tackling clean, and squeezing windows. It also makes the return of Thomas Harper a timely boost for a secondary that has been stretched thin.

Secondary in Flux

Eric Hallett is gone. Tennessee signed him off the practice squad after the Rams game, where he logged real snaps and held up fine. His versatility helped, and his departure strips needed depth. The Lions signed Keelan Garber, an undrafted safety who started college as a wide receiver at Kansas State. He bounced from Minnesota to Indianapolis and had been unattached for a month. This is a futures look more than an immediate fix.

The big headline is Kirby Joseph. He did not practice Wednesday and the signs point to him not playing this week. Dan Campbell’s tone was not optimistic. The Lions do not have a true replacement on the back end. Avonte Maddox has been a plug-in at times, but not as a pure single high. Harper returning from a concussion is significant. He is the Brian Branch replacement in the slot and nickel, and he practiced fully. Against this Steelers passing game, his quickness and tackling should play.

Sione Vaki is battling a thumb injury. He played on special teams last week and struggled there. Expect him to dress, but the role could be narrow. Taylor Decker took veteran rest. Most others worked in some form during the Wednesday walkthrough. The report was estimated, as usual.

Interior Shuffle and What It Means

Inside, the Detroit Lions need stability. Christian Mahogany practiced fully, and the staff sounded cautiously optimistic. If he goes, that settles left guard. Tristan Colon started there against the Rams. He protected well early, then his play fell off hard. A wrist issue limited him Wednesday. The question across Lions land is why Miles Frazier did not get a longer look after a strong debut against the Cowboys. No clear answer yet, but Mahogany’s progress could render it moot.

Giovanni Manu was limited with a knee. That is one to watch for swing depth. The line’s health will decide how much help stays in protection versus getting out in routes. Against Pittsburgh, clean pockets and controlled run fits will be enough if the secondary tackles and keeps the lid on.

The Detroit Lions have a winnable NFL game in front of them. Keep it simple on defense. Get Mahogany back if he is ready. Avoid the back-breaking mistake. Then send the home crowd out with one more win.

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Chris
Chris is the founder of everything you see here. A former radio presenter and Detroit native, he now resides in sunny California – and like so many of us, he found himself marooned on an island devoid of other Lions fans. After spending a few years in the Detroit Lions Reddit community he decided to start the Detroit Lions Podcast. Its become the #1 Detroit Lions podcast, and regularly ranks with the top podcasts in Detroit. With a mixture of pre-recorded shows, live & recorded phone-ins, and live post-game broadcasts - this is his slice of Honolulu Blue heaven.