In the rare event that Penei Sewell has to get checked on by team trainers during a game, "I just tell 'em, 'It’s gotta be quick. Another drive's coming up, the defense can flip the ball whenever.'"
"The trainers gotta do their job," Sewell said Wednesday. "I try to be respectful in that process, but at the same time, they know what I want to do."
Sewell wants to play. Every snap, every game. That's what he did last Sunday in the Lions' loss to the Vikings despite a shoulder injury that sent him briefly up the tunnel with medical personnel. And that's what he plans to do Sunday in DC against the Commanders.
The Lions' All-Pro right tackle didn't practice Wednesday but said afterward that he expects to play on Sunday: "I feel better. I feel pretty good."
Sewell has played in every game the past four seasons and all but one in his five-year career. The only snaps he's missed this year have come when he's on the bench during blowouts. For Sewell, it's simple: "If I can go, I’m gonna go."
"Everyone’s pain tolerance is different," he said. "Everyone’s got different serious injuries, and I’m just fortunate that I haven’t. When I’m able to go, I’m going."
Asked where that comes from, Sewell said, "It's just these guys, man. A lot of people depend on me. And myself, too, I want to be out there and I know that they want me out there."
The Lions need Sewell out there more than ever. Their rebuilt offensive line has scuffled recently and now left guard Christian Mahogany is out until at least late December with a leg injury, while left tackle Taylor Decker's status for Sunday is in doubt as he works through shoulder and knee injuries.
Jared Goff was sacked five times last week, tied for the most of his Lions tenure, pressured a season-high 18 times and Detroit's typically stout rushing attack averaged just 3.3 yards per carry. The Lions went 5-for-17 on third down, continuing a concerning season-long trend.
"Everyone knows that wasn’t up to our standard at all and it was one of our worst performances," said Sewell. "We just gotta be better throughout the week, communication wise and game-plan wise, and just come together at the end of the day and be on the same page. Because we say it: if we’re all wrong, we’re right. If we just commit to a point and commit together, we’ll be all good."
The ground game has averaged 4.4 yards per carry on the season, but the blocking and execution hasn't been as consistent as years past. The overall numbers are propped up by a few long runs by David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Sewell said the "details" are holding them back.
"It’s all over the tape. I feel like the little things need to be focused on more. Whether it’s working together or individually, those small things, they add up, and we’re starting to see it," said Sewell. "We gotta fix those things."
Sewell acknowledged that "when things aren’t going your way, there’s always a level of frustration," but emphasized the need for the Lions to "stay clear-headed" up front.
"It’s always that next play," he said. "If you’re kind of close-minded and you start overwhelming yourself with all those things that just happened, you’re going to miss the next one."
For years, the Lions have leaned on their offensive line. That's not changing as long as Sewell's around: "At the end of the day, what we’re built on is, it starts up front."
"And we know that, the coaches know that," said Sewell. "So the O-line, you get another chance, and that’s the good thing about this league: we have another opportunity Sunday."