The Detroit Lions are still dealing with a rash of injuries to their most important skill position players.
The Lions practiced Wednesday without four of their top five receivers, No. 1 running back D’Andre Swift and tight end T.J. Hockenson, though Lions coach Dan Campbell said most everyone in that group is feeling “a little bit better” than last week.
Swift and receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and DJ Chark sat out last week’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks with ankle injuries − Swift also has a sprained shoulder − and the Lions lost Quintez Cephus to a foot injury that game. The Lions still managed 45 points and 520 yards of offense, with Hockenson, who was playing through a hip injury, catching a season-high eight passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
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St. Brown, Chark, Cephus and Josh Reynolds were among those who did not practice Wednesday. The Lions also held defensive lineman John Cominsky (wrist), linebacker Chris Board and center Frank Ragnow (toe) and his backup, Evan Brown (ankle), out of practice.
Left guard Jonah Jackson returned after missing the past three games with a finger injury, while linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (stinger) and cornerback Amani Oruwariye (neck) took part in practice after briefly leaving Sunday’s loss wiht injuries. Both Rodriguez and Oruwariye returned late in the game.
Kicker Austin Seibert, who did not play against the Seahawks because of soreness in his surgically-repaired groin, was on the field kicking field goals during Wednesday’s individual period.
The Lions visit the New England Patriots on Sunday in a battle of 1-3 teams.