All was well for the Detroit Lions in their Week 6 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys until things were not, all of a sudden in the third quarter.
The Lions were steamrolling the Cowboys, 34-6, with every facet of the game imaginable going their way. But, then at the 11:43 mark in the third quarter, Detroit Pro Bowl EDGE Aidan Hutchinson fell to the AT&T Stadium turf after sacking Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. Immediately, you could tell things were not good for the Michigan product.
Hutchinson suffered a significant lower-leg injury on the play, and stayed immobile on the field for a significant amount of time. Dan Campbell and a multitude of worried players from both teams eventually came out to check on Hutchinson's well-being. They surrounded the NFL's 2024 season sack leader until he was taken off the field on a cart. It is believed that the ailment will be of the season-ending variety for the EDGE rusher.
Detroit still emerged victorious in the contest, 47-9. Yet, the injury took the wind right out of Lions fans' sails. Plus, it eliminated some of the gratification of a highly-satisfying beatdown of "America's Team" in Dallas, the site of Detroit's controversial loss to the Cowboys in Week 17 a season ago.
The injury to Hutchinson leaves Campbell's squad with a huge void in the pass-rushing department. It begs the question: Should Detroit general manager Brad Holmes plug the hole with an external move in the coming weeks?