Alim McNeill says he could play now, but Lions will be cautious as his knee heals
Nine months after suffering a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee, Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill says he could play right now if he had to. But he's not going to get back on the field just yet.
McNeill told Justin Rogers of DetroitFootball.net that he is about 93 to 94 percent recovered after having knee surgery on January 2, but he and the Lions are going to be cautious and let him do the final 6 to 7 percent of his rehab that he needs to get back to 100 percent healthy.
The 25-year-old McNeill was having a strong 2024 season when he got hurt, one of a series of devastating injuries for the Lions' defense last season. McNeill had signed a four-year, $97 million contract extension with the Lions just a couple months before his injury, so he's a big part of the Lions' long-term plans, and the team won't want to rush him back until he's ready.
But when he is ready, likely in October or November, the Lions believe they're going to get a big boost to their defense for the second half of the season.
Lions’ Jared Goff looking to join Dan Marino in history books vs Ravens
On Sunday afternoon, the Detroit Lions bounced back from their Week 1 dud vs the Green Bay Packers to pick up a huge win over the Chicago Bears in their home opener, scoring 52 points in the process. The offense looked much more like the 2024 elite offense that Lions fans are used to seeing as compared to the Week 1 flop.
Up next for the Ravens is a highly anticipated nighttime matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, and in that game, quarterback Jared Goff will have a chance to tie an NFL legend in the history books.
If Goff throws for 300 or more yards in that contest, he will tie Drew Brees and Dan Marino for the most 300-yard passing games through the first ten years of a career, at 44. Goff threw for 334 yards in the Lions’ Week 2 win over Chicago.
Making matters even more optimistic for Goff on this front is that the one good offense that the Ravens played this year, in Week 1 vs the Buffalo Bills, absolutely shredded their defense, scoring 41 points, which could make Goff hitting the 300-yard mark this week a probable outcome.
A good bounce back for the Lions
Coming off of their Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers, there was considerable doubt as to whether the Detroit Lions truly had lost their offensive magic when offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left to be the new coach of the Chicago Bears.
However, last week, in Johnson’s return to Chicago, the Lions’ offense looked much more like its old self, with Goff eviscerating a listless Bears defense throughout the afternoon.
While the Ravens’ defense certainly has much more talent than Chicago’s, Baltimore has garnered a reputation over the last two years for being soft on that end of the field, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Goff finds similar success against them, albeit in a hostile road environment.
In any case, the Ravens and Lions are slated to kick things off on Monday at 8:15 PM ET from Baltimore. The game will be carried nationally by ESPN.
