The Detroit Lions returned to the practice field in preparation for their Monday Night Football matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
Notably absent from Thursday’s practice were Frank Ragnow, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Dan Skipper, and Sam LaPorta, who was seen working on the side with a trainer.
Defensive tackle Alim McNeill and safety Brian Branch participated in practice after sustaining injuries in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals. McNeill had been dealing with a shoulder issue, while Branch was in concussion protocol.
Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw also returned to practice after missing the last two games due to a hamstring injury, while linebacker Alex Anzalone practiced after sitting out last week with a concussion.
Ragnow has already been ruled out for the game, while Melifonwu has yet to play in the first three games.
This week, the Lions are placing a strong emphasis on 1-on-1 drills. Whether it’s in pass coverage between receivers and defensive backs or focusing on protection schemes up front, the team is honing in on their fundamentals leading up to Week 4.
Head coach Dan Campbell stressed that the team is narrowing their focus entirely on the Seattle game, rather than thinking too far ahead.
“No, I don’t think this is anything — as a matter of fact, I told the team everything is about one this week. It’s about one,” Campbell said. “That’s today, one day. It’s about one rep, it’s one week, it’s one game, it’s one win.
Just focus on that. Again, we’ve got to get back to honing our craft a little bit. We’re gonna do some 1-on-1’s, pad them up early and then take them off. But just so we get back in — you start getting into the game plan four weeks in and you start focusing so much on the plan, the plan, sometimes you forget about your fundamentals. You don’t mean to — so this is a way to refocus ourselves.”
