The Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 30-20 Sunday to give them 12 wins on the season and some momentum going into the start of the playoffs next week, but it might have come at a cost.
Late in the second quarter, rookie Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta caught a 5-yard pass on a 3rd & 4 play for a first down, but as Josh Metellus tried to bring him down, LaPorta’s left knee bent back awkwardly. LaPorta grabbed at the knee before he hit the ground. He laid on the field for a bit while trainers looked at him and then slowly walked off the field and into the injury tent. A cart came to take him to the locker room. He did not return.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after the game the injury isn’t as bad as it looked initially.
“The best way I can put it is it’s probably not as bad as it looked but it’s not good news,” Campbell said. “We’ll know more tomorrow but I know it looked awful. It’s not as bad as that. That doesn’t mean it looks good in the immediate here to have him for a game.”
LaPorta’s absence to start the playoffs would be a big loss for the Lions. Earlier in the game LaPorta caught his 82nd reception of the season, establishing the new record for receptions in a season by a rookie tight end. He passed the previous record of 81 set by Keith Jackson in 1988.
LaPorta had five receptions for 29 yards and Detroit’s first touchdown of the contest before suffering the injury. He finished the regular season with 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff said James Mitchell stepped up in LaPorta’s absence, but potentially losing LaPorta will sting to begin the playoffs because whoever fills in, they won’t be able to replicate the timing and chemistry he’s built with LaPorta.
Mitchell did well in the blocking schemes and caught one pass for 24 yards.
Wide receiver and punt returner Kalif Raymond left the game early in the fourth quarter with a knee injury after catching a pass for a 9-yard gain and being tackled by defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga. He was ruled out quickly with a knee injury. He had two catches for 50 yards and four punt returns for 89 yards (22.3 avg.) before leaving the game. Campbell said Raymond is in the same boat as LaPorta.
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