Detroit Lions fans held their collective breath as rookie safety Brian Branch and defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike took turns getting worked on by the on-field medical staff in the second half of Thursday night’s 21-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
The positive news: The injuries were just cramps, in both cases.
But the Lions didn’t make it out completely unscathed. Left tackle Taylor Decker was spotted leaving the locker room in a walking boot.
Decker suffered an ankle injury early in the game, according to Lions head coach Dan Campbell, but that was the only injury to report after a massive win on opening night. Campbell didn’t specify the severity of the injury and said they’ll know more after tests in the coming days, but reading between the lines — Campbell was more impressed than concerned — it doesn’t sound like anything too serious.
“We really came out pretty good. Decker had a little bit of an ankle that he got early in the game, and he played the whole game with it, finished it out,” Campbell said.
“Which, man, that was outstanding. Deck’s a tough S-O-B, man. To watch him battle out there, it was impressive. We’ll know a lot more in a few days, but I’m encouraged because I know, there again, he finished out the game.”
Whoever’s nursing a bump or bruise in Detroit’s locker room will have a little extra time to heal up. With the opener coming on a Thursday, the Lions will have 10 days to prepare for the home opener at Ford Field against Seattle in Week 2. Campbell talked about the benefits of having an extended break after the first game.
“I think it’s crucial. I think it’s big to be able to now rest the body for about three days here before we start back up, get ready for Seattle,” Campbell said. “I just think it’s huge and I think it worked out perfect for us.”
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @nolanbianchi