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Lions Down To Three Healthy Cornerbacks After 18-16 Win Over Packers

By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby

If there were a state-of-emergency-at-the-cornerback-position alarm at the Lions' facility, the siren would be sounding. Detroit is down to three healthy cornerbacks now, after the position was wrecked by injuries this week.

The day before the Lions notched their second win of the season against Green Bay, Rashean Mathis was put on injured reserve with a concussion, thus ending his season. His concussion had been previously undiagnosed for at least a week before an independent neurologist finally diagnosed him the week after the team returned from London. Now, the 35-year-old starter will sit out the rest of the year. He has declined comment multiple times about his health.

In Mathis' place, Nevin Lawson started Sunday, but is now in concussion protocol himself after a hit he took during the game.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers targeted Lawson more than anyone else on Sunday, but Lawson performed admirably.

"He's a physical, non-stop, all-out hustle guy that just does not know any other speed but full speed, and he's reckless and he's tenacious," Caldwell said of Lawson. "All of those guys that have ever been around him and coached him and coaches on the staff, have always loved his effort. I think he demonstrated that yesterday. He had a heck of a game against some tough task, we played a lot of man-to-man a lot more than we would usually play and he stood up to the challenge."

Cornerback Josh Wilson also suffered a "pretty significant injury" that won't be just a "one-week" absence, according to head coach Jim Caldwell. Caldwell would not specify what the injury was, but it's rare the coach talks about injuries unless they are serious or potentially season-ending.

Remaining at the cornerback position are Darius Slay, Quandre Diggs and Crezdon Butler. Butler was signed to the roster just the day before the Lions' game against the Packers. He also made a game-saving pass breakup in the end zone as the Packers were going for the two point conversion to send the game to overtime.

As for Slay, he has had an up-and-down season, getting beat on several long balls throughout the season. But Caldwell thought that he's rebounded nicely and had a solid game against Green Bay, although he was barely targeted all day by Rodgers.

"I think he certainly played tough, managed his area of responsibility I think very well," Caldwell said. "I think we all know he's got the skill set to be really an outstanding player and you see that from him and yesterday they didn't take a whole lot of shots at him they were working the other side more often than not. But when he was called upon to get it done he did well."

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