Detroit Lions place two players on injured reserve before the playoff opener.
Allen Park — The Detroit Lions have placed cornerback Jerry Jacobs and tight end James Mitchell on injured reserve, ending their seasons one day before the playoffs start against the Los Angeles Rams. In a matching move, Detroit added cornerback Chase Lucas and tight end Anthony Firkser to the 53-man roster.
Mitchell’s departure might have a particularly negative impact on Los Angeles. Sam LaPorta, a star rookie tight end, is recovering from a hyperextended left knee and bone bruise and is rated as questionable versus the Los Angeles Rams. Even if he is cleared to play, he may not be able to handle his normal workload. So losing a backup right now reduces the resources available at that position.
Detroit still has Brock Wright at tight end and has added Firkser off the practice squad. The former Harvard great appeared in 71 games throughout a six-year career, catching 115 passes for 1,207 yards and five scores. He has participated in two games for Detroit this season, playing two snaps on offense and 22 on special teams.
On the other side of the ball, Jacobs’ difficult season has encountered another roadblock. He failed at cornerback, was benched in the second half of the season, and was dealing with a thigh problem before suffering a knee injury this week. His season is ended.
Jacobs was demoted to a special teams position in recent weeks. Detroit has restored those contributions by re-signing Lucas, who has played 230 special-teams snaps this season but was released last week to make room for the return of Ceedy Duce and Alim McNeill.Detroit is also temporarily promoting veteran defensive tackle Tyson Alualu and fullback Jason Cabinda off the practice squad. Alualu, a 14-year veteran, will make his
Cabina returned to action last week after a long layoff with a knee injury.
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