Detroit Lions' David Montgomery getting third opinion after knee injury
(FOX 2) - Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery will seek a third opinion after injuring his knee in the team's loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday.
Amid fears of a torn MCL in a game where the Lions' injury woes grew deeper on defense, the update from coach Dan Campbell represents a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered team.
"David's getting another opinion and so he's had a couple, and really you know, just see, what this third one says," he said. "That's why we've not put him on injured reserve."
He characterized the team's position as in "waiting mode."
Part of the debate over Montgomery's status is whether his knee is stable, whether it will scar, and whether the running back can perform at the level needed to compete.
Khalil Dorsey was carted off the field while Alim McNeil and Carlton Davis, two stalwarts on defense also suffered long-term injuries.
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Staying focused on football to be played
While the Lions have managed to weather the injuries alongside wins, last Sunday's loss felt like a wake-up call for some fans, growing concerned that a team bound for the Super Bowl could limp into the postseason.
Campbell pushed the doom and gloom aside during his Wednesday press conference, telling reporters his team "got popped in the mouth" but that's no reason players won't get back up and keep playing at the highest level.
"We need to go back to work and reposition ourselves to be able to play the next game and learn from what happened," he said. "And the other is to not lose confidence in the fact that we still have really good players here on defense…"
The goal each week is to worry about the day and not dwell on the future hurdles or past losses.
"And it's my job to alleviate stress in some areas and just kind of balance the buoy if you will and we'll do that," he said.
He named off players like Jack Campbell, Kirby Joseph, Terrion Arnold, and Brian Branch as figures on defense that will keep that end of the game competitive.
"We got to be prepared to go out and play a good football team in the Chicago Bears," he said.
Campbell on Chicago: "Talented Team"
Amid worries about injuries, the Lions remain the top team in the conference and hold the tiebreaker over the Minnesota Vikings in the race for the NFC North title.
But it's a different divisional opponent that Detroit will travel to this weekend when they play their second game against the Chicago Bears.
Despite a coaching change mid-season and a rookie quarterback still finding his groove, Campbell said they were preparing for a talented team that continues to play hard.
Beating them will require playing "at a high level" and getting back to basics.
"They've got things they like, but also, they got a lot of variety in what they do," he said. "We're going to prepare for everything they've done."