The Detroit Lions’ offense took a hit early on Thanksgiving. Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown went down hard and left the game in pain after a rough ankle injury. The Packers led 3-0, and Detroit suddenly faced an uphill battle without another key player.

“Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is down after the play,” Ryan Wood of USA Today reported. “They’re already without Sam LaPorta.” 

Brown suffered a lower-leg injury with 6:32 left in the first quarter. He dodged a defender, faced Xavier McKinney’s tackle, but his own teammate, Trystan Colon, rolled up on him from behind, causing the issue.

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The hit was brutal, and Brown stayed down for several minutes. Then, another reliable target for quarterback Jared Goff walked straight to the locker room. 

“WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) is questionable to return,” the NFL reported, Ari Meirov noted. 

Since entering the league in 2021, Brown has had an impressive career. His resume contains three consecutive Pro Bowl selections, each season surpassing 1,000 receiving yards and 100 catches. 

He ranks 19th active in receiving touchdowns with 42, and is also among the top active leaders in receiving yards, pushing past 5,000 for his career. This season has been another showcase of his talent: In 11 games, he hauled in 75 passes for 884 yards and nine touchdowns.

With St. Brown’s status uncertain, coach Dan Campbell is turning to Jameson Williams, Tom Kennedy, Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett to fill the void.

Now, Detroit faces a tough challenge, having already lost tight end Sam LaPorta weeks ago.

Sam LaPorta’s injury adds to Detroit’s woes

Adding to Detroit’s frustration, LaPorta was ruled out long before Thanksgiving. LaPorta’s back injury in Week 10 forced him to undergo surgery and land on injured reserve. 

A few days back, coach Campbell shared a grim update.

“I think we would be fortunate to have a chance to get him back for the rest of the season at some point,” Campbell said. “I think that’s very, very slim.”

Before his injury, LaPorta was a dependable target with 40 catches, 489 yards, and three touchdowns. His best performance came in a battle against the Minnesota Vikings when he caught six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown.

“Losing Sam hurts cause he’s a hell of a football player,” Campbell said. “He can do it all: run block, obviously the receiver that you get.”

The combined absence of Brown and LaPorta on Thanksgiving paints a challenging picture for Detroit. With injuries hitting key playmakers, they must lean on younger talent and depth players while hoping their stars recover swiftly.