Lions Get Good News on Pivotal Defensive Lineman Before Chiefs Game
The Detroit Lions could finally see a key member of the defense back on the field, months after he suffered a major knee injury.
Defensive lineman Alim McNeill has been growing ever-closer to a return from the torn ACL that cut short his 2024 season, addressing what one analyst believes is a growing concern for the 4-1 Lions.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon noted that the string of early injuries has been the “biggest concern” for the Lions this season, including the absence of McNeill.
“The Lions are still without key defenders Alim McNeill (knee), Terrion Arnold (shoulder) and D.J. Reed (hamstring). And safety Kerby Joseph has been playing through a knee injury, while Brian Branch is dealing with an ankle injury,” Gagnon wrote. “Unsurprisingly, that unit has had some spotty performances thus far. They’re giving up 22.4 points per game, up from 20.1 in 2024.”
Gagnon noted that the Lions have found ways to make up for the string of injuries, but could see a big boost when McNeill is able to return to the field — which could come as early as this week.
“The good news is they’re making up for it with takeaways and sacks, and McNeill may return just in time for a big Week 6 matchup with the Chiefs,” Gagnon wrote.
Good Signs for Alim McNeill
It appeared that McNeill may have been able to return for last week’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, with head coach Dan Campbell saying he was “50/50” to play. The Lions ultimately ruled McNeill out, though the coaching staff has been giving some hopeful signs about his ability to return and get back to his previous form.
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said last week that McNeill has looked great while ramping up toward his return.
“I told Dan [Campbell] yesterday that it’s amazing when you watch those practice clips. It’s like he’s been at training camp. I mean he does not look like a player that hasn’t practiced, and that’s credit to him,” Sheppard said, via ESPN. “I know all this bone density and all these guru terms they throw out, but all I know is I see a very, very high caliber defensive tackle when I turned on the tape yesterday so I’m very excited to have him back out there.”
McNeill added that he is excited to get back on the field and help his teammates. The team has struggled at times to generate consistent pressure on quarterbacks — which was especially true after Aidan Hutchinson’s season-ending injury last year. McNeill has been one of the most consistent defensive linemen.
McNeill suffered a torn ACL in December, missing the team’s final stretch and early playoff exit. He finished the season with 25 total tackles and 3.5 sacks, adding a forced fumble and pass defensed.
This shocking stat could be the reason why the Broncos win the AFC West
With the Broncos now tied atop the AFC West standings more than a quarter of the way into the season, it ins't unreasonable to begin looking at how Denver can win the division crown. The Broncos currently sit at 2-1 within the AFC, and have already faced multiple teams that were playoff teams from last year. Denver's first five games were not a favorable draw.
Their next 12, however, are fairly favorable for Sean Payton and his group. Denver's next two opponents have a combined one win on the season, and present a strong opportunity for the Broncos to move to 5-2 on the young season. Following Denver, the Chiefs and Texans are a few underperforming former playoff staples.
Overall, Denver's remaining schedule is weak. The injury to Joe Burrow helped them knock off the Bengals, but the Broncos' difficult stretch to start the season seems to be behind them. Denver's remaining strength of schedule appears to be fairly weak, and the scheduling data so far backs that up.
Denver's remaining strength of schedule is the second weakest in football
With twelve games remaining on Denver's 2025 schedule, the Broncos have the second softest remaining schedule in all of football, behind only the New England Patriots. For New England, much of this comes in the horrendous bottom half of their division. The Jets are currently winless, and the Dolphins have just one win, which naturally came over the Jets.
The Patriots' remaining strength of schedule is an absurd .305, while Denver's is a cool .407. For the Broncos, it helps to once again have a bottom-dwelling Raiders team. Las Vegas has just one win on the young season, and Geno Smith is averaging more than one interception a game. The Kansas City Chiefs are a surprising 2-3, and a matchup with a high-powered Lions offense could push their loss total to double their wins.
Outside of their own division, Denver benefits from playing the Giants, Texans, and this week's matchup with the Jets. The Giants and Jets are a combined 2-9 on the season, and neither seems to be getting much better week-over-week. Denver will have a strong chance to beef up their record within the conference through the autumn months. Denver's season does, however, end with a decent run of playoff contenders, including the Packers, Commanders, and Jaguars. Sean Payton and his group should take this chance to stack up the wins.
