In the early part of the season, the Lions are facing a battle of attrition with injuries. It has hit especially hard in the secondary, where they already were without No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah going down last week in practice.
Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears included two more injuries, with Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman leaving the game. Coleman is heading to injured reserve, which would keep him out for at least the next three games.
That left more reps for starter Amani Oruwariye, along with reserves Darryl Roberts and Tony McRae, who got praise from defensive coordinator Cory Undlin for stepping into tough roles in a tight game.