D’Andre Swift’s sprained shoulder is feeling better and the Detroit Lions running back is scheduled to return Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
Swift was a full participant in practice Friday and was not given a designation on the Lions’ injury report, meaning he is cleared to play. He has not played since injuring his shoulder in a Week 3 loss to the Minnnesota Vikings. He also has been managing a sprained ankle he suffered in a Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
“He is trending in the right direction there,” Lions running backs coach Duce Staley said before practice. “Just getting him back out there on the field, getting him back into the swing of things I’ll say is important, just the little things from putting the ball away, running routes, making sure his eyes are in the right place. Just stuff we do every day with other running backs.”
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Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is listed as questionable but trending towards playing Sunday after missing most of the past three games with injury, Lions coach Dan Campbell said.
St. Brown sat out a Week 4 loss to the Seattle Seahawks with a high ankle sprain, played sparingly Week 5 against the New England Patriots and was knocked out of last week’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys early. He remains in concussion protocol, but was not diagnosed with a brain injury.
The Lions had one of the highest-scoring offenses in the NFL with Swift and St. Brown healthy early this season, but that unit has fallen on tough times of late.
The Lions have managed just two field goals and have not scored a touchdown their past two games.
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Campbell said getting Swift and St. Brown back should be “a big jolt” for the offense.
“I mean, those two guys can account for a lot of offense,” Campbell said. “And look, I would say this, too: (receiver Josh) Reynolds was out there practicing (Thursday), which was good, and he’s going to get another day’s work and that’s really the first time in two or three weeks we’ve had him in practice, per se. He’s really been walk-through, and then he’s gone in to (work with trainers). So I know at this point this is the best he’s felt in a while, so that helps. Those three players, to have them, certainly it’s going to help more than it hurts, I can tell you that.”
The Lions (1-5) ruled six players out for Sunday: Defensive starters DeShon Elliott (finger) and Charles Harris (groin), and backups Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle), Chase Lucas (ankle), Mike Hughes (knee) and Matt Nelson (calf).
Left guard Jonah Jackson also is questionable with a neck injury, though he practiced on a limited basis Friday for the second straight day.
Campbell said Juju Hughes likely would start at safety in place of Elliott, who has a splint on his right index finger.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.