For the Lions' defense, help is hopefully on the way.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson is closing in on a return after tearing his pec in Week 2 and undergoing surgery, Dan Campbell said Monday. The star defensive back tied for the NFL lead in picks last season.
"Lazarus has a chance," Campbell said. "I think he does."
Gardner-Johnson was primed to play a big role for Detroit this year. A ballhawk and a heavy hitter, the defense has badly missed his playmaking abilities. He was injured in the same game that James Houston, who finished second on the team in sacks last season, broke his ankle.
While the Lions "always thought there was a chance to get Houston back, it didn’t sound that way originally with C.J.," Campbell said Tuesday on 97.1 The Ticket. But Gardner-Johnson's "rehab has gone so well and he’s healed at such a fast rate" that the Lions are now focused on getting him cleared for a return by the end of the season.
Houston said last week that he's aiming to return "before the playoffs." The 9-4 Lions hold a two-game lead over the Vikings in the NFC North with four games to go. Campbell said that players "look encouraging, but C.J., man, he’s kicked it into overdrive."
"He’s healed quick and is healing quick," Campbell said. "Most of it’s going to be about, is his body ready for that? Will he be able to do it without re-injuring it and is it stable, strong enough? I know this, he’s taken off, but we’ll see. Probably the same timeline if there is a chance, it’d be late December, (early) January probably."
Campbell set a similar timeline for Houston, noting that it will still "be a while" before the Lions return him to practice. Asked what he and Gardner-Johnson could add to the team when they return, Houston said last week, "Those are two high-level players, and I feel like we can really change the outcome of our season, the outcome of the defense, everything."
The Lions rank 25th in the NFL in scoring defense. They have allowed more than 25 points to six of their last seven opponents amid a 4-3 stretch, after allowing that many just once in their 5-1 start.
"I know AG’s probably looking for us to come back, so it should be a really exciting time," said Houston.
The sooner, the better for the Lions.