By Moses Joshua 
A Thanksgiving loss stings, but the Lions avoid disaster with encouraging news on their star receiver.
A Loss That Raises Alarms — and One Injury That Made Things Worse
The Detroit Lions couldn’t have picked a worse time to stumble. Their 31–24 Thanksgiving loss to the Green Bay Packers wasn’t just another bad day at Ford Field — it was the continuation of a slide that has seen Detroit drop four of its last seven games. With the NFC playoff race tightening, every misstep feels heavier, and this one came with an added gut punch.
Early in the matchup, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown exited with an ankle injury, unraveling the rhythm of Detroit’s passing attack and adding yet another name to an already lengthy injury list. For a team battling fatigue, inconsistency, and rising pressure, losing its most reliable weapon felt like a breaking point.
But in a rare stroke of good fortune for Detroit, the postgame medical evaluations delivered some long-awaited relief.
St. Brown Diagnosed With Low Ankle Sprain, Week-To-Week
Since arriving as a fourth-round pick in 2021, Amon-Ra St. Brown has become the Lions’ heartbeat on offense — a three-time Pro Bowler, two-time First Team All-Pro, and one of the league’s most productive receivers. His 2025 campaign has been no different: 75 catches, 884 yards, and nine touchdowns through 12 contests.
That’s why his early exit on Thanksgiving sent shock waves through the team and fan base.
Detroit stayed competitive thanks to a breakout performance by Jameson Williams (7 receptions, 144 yards, and a touchdown), but St. Brown’s absence was unmistakable. With playoff hopes fading, the fear of losing him long-term loomed large.
Fortunately, that nightmare scenario appears off the table.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, “Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown is believed to have suffered a low ankle sprain… it’s good news so far on his chances for returning sooner than later… At this point, Amon-Ra St. Brown is not expected to land on IR and likely will be week-to-week as the Lions enter the stretch run.”
A key bonus? Detroit plays only one game in the next 16 days, giving St. Brown a window to recover without missing significant action.
Detroit’s Problems Don’t End With St. Brown’s Status
Encouraging as the injury update is, it doesn’t change the reality facing Detroit: the team is slipping at the worst possible moment.
The Lions now sit behind both the Packers and the Bears in the NFC North standings, which means their most realistic postseason path is via a crowded and unforgiving wild-card race. With Dallas — one of the hottest teams in football — on deck in Week 14, the margin for error continues to shrink.
Even with St. Brown trending in the right direction, Detroit must find answers quickly. The offense has become unpredictable, the defense has struggled to find consistency, and the team’s early-season edge has faded.
Encouraging injury news helps. Winning solves everything.
Detroit Avoids Disaster, but the Clock Is Ticking
Amon-Ra St. Brown’s ankle injury could have derailed the Lions’ season entirely. Instead, they’ve received the best news they could have hoped for under the circumstances.
But the reality remains the same: no injury update — no matter how positive — will matter if Detroit doesn’t reverse its trajectory.
With one of the toughest stretches of the season ahead, the Lions must rediscover their identity fast. St. Brown should return soon.
The question is whether Detroit will still be in the playoff hunt by the time he does.