ALLEN PARK — While Aidan Hutchinson faces significant recovery time from his broken left leg, Lions coach Dan Campbell will not count him out for the season.
“Let me say this, it’s 4-6 months. I would never count Hutch out. Ever. So long road, but I would never count him out, I would say if anybody can make it back it would be him,’’ Campbell said on Monday.
Hutchinson underwent successful surgery to repair a fractured tibia and fractured fibula at Baylor White Medical Center in Texas on Sunday night. He will return to Detroit this week and is expected to make a full recovery. Officially there is no timeline for his return to play at this time.
Still, returning this season — maybe in the playoffs — remains a possibility and Campbell thinks it is huge for Hutchinson just to know that is out there.
“Just knowing Hutch, he’s got one of those rare, if he believes in it, he can will himself to find a way to get it back,’’ Campbell said. “One of those guys, the mind can heal the body, he’ll find the next best thing and do whatever it takes to get back.
“So who knows? But yeah, I think it’s huge, you know it’s sitting right out there. ‘I can do this, I can get back. We’ll be in a position where I’ll be able to come back to help.’ I think it’s huge,’’ the coach added.
On Sunday, Hutchinson played 32 snaps against the Cowboys before he broke his leg early in the third quarter. The Lions were up 34-6 when he was carted off the field. He had notched one sack, three quarterback hits, and three tackles in the game which the Lions won 47-9.
Campbell remains confident in his team and certainly is not giving up on the Super Bowl goal. He’s not closing the door on a possible trade either. The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 5.
“Everything’s on the table but Brad (Holmes) and I are not panicked. This team is not panicked,’’ Campbell said. “It’s next man up and if we have an area where we need some help, we have to help each other out and we may have to play a little different and that’s OK. ‘’
Holmes will not jump on a trade unless it’s a perfect match for the team.
“This comes up every year and it’s not like he doesn’t look. He’s doing what he’s been doing – he’s looking. Is there somebody out there who could potentially help us? What is it going to cost? Just because it’s there doesn’t mean we’re going to do it. It’s got to be right if it is,’’ Campbell said.
“We’re not in a hurry, I believe in the guys who are here, I believe in the D-line. It doesn’t mean we’re not looking, we’re not evaluating. Brad is, that’s his job and he’s good at it. We’ll take it as it comes. Our eyes are open and we’ll make sure we have what we need here,’’ Campbell added.
Hutchinson’s injury is the second big hit for the defensive line that lost Marcus Davenport due to a season-ending injury three weeks ago.
Undrafted rookie Isaac Ukwu stepped in on Sunday to fill in for Hutchinson. It was his first NFL game action and while Campbell said it did appear that way, he’s seen Ukwu in practice and has faith he can improve.
Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal and James Houston will be leaned on.
While Alim McNeill is an inside D-lineman, he can take some of the pressure off the ends. He had two sacks and seven pressures on Sunday.
“He’s one of those guys we’re going to lean on, he doesn’t have to be Superman but we’ve got to get that out of him every week and he’s got that ability,’’ Campbell said.
Hutchinson’s injury is a blow to the Lions, but doesn’t appear to be a death blow.
Overall in the first five games this season — Hutchinson’s third NFL season — he had been on fire with 7.5 sacks (he had 11.5 all of last year), 17 quarterback hits, 19 tackles, and one forced fumble.
He was a heavy favorite with 5/2 odds of winning the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year, per BetOnline.ag. Now he’s off the board and Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt has moved from 3/1 to the favorite at 3/2.
“Everybody feels for Hutch .. because they can put themselves in his shoes, it brings it back to reality. It’s part of this game and it’s hard,’’ Campbell said. “I think they also understand that man, we are a team and everybody is here for a reason and it takes every one of us.’’
NOTES:
— QB Jared Goff turned 30 on Monday. Among all quarterbacks in NFL history before turning 30 he ranked third in completions (2,763); tied for third in 300-yard games (38); fourth in yards (31,759); fourth in attempts (4,256); tied for fourth in starts (122); and sixth in passing TDs (193).
— The Lions have produced at least three passing TDs and two rushing TDs in back-to-back games. The only other times they’ve done so were in 1962 and 1950.
— RB David Montgomery is the 10th player in NFL history to produce at least 70 scrimmage yards and a rushing TD in each of the first five games of a season.
UP NEXT: Lions (4-1) at Vikings (5-0), 1 p.m. on Sunday.
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