Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery injury: What statuses mean for Week 17 vs. Vikings

The Detroit Lions are playing a do-or-die game in Week 17 when they travel to face the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day. If they lose or tie against Minnesota, Detroit will be eliminated from playoff contention. They also need the Packers to lose to the Ravens on Saturday, but for Thursday, it’s just a matter of winning.

They’ll have some key players available but not necessarily at 100% for the game. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back David Montgomery both ended up on the injury report this list. We’ll break down how things stand and their respective statuses for Week 17.

The Lions listed St. Brown as a DNP for Monday’s practice due to a knee issue. It was an estimated report because the team did not have a full practice to start the short week. However, the knee was a new injury note, so it was something to track. He improved to a limited status on Tuesday and Wednesday before getting a questionable designation on the final injury report.

On Thursday morning, Ian Rapoport reported that he is expected to play through the injury. Rapoport described it as an “irritation” and that he would be full go for the game.

Montgomery did not show up on the injury report until Tuesday. It was all estimated due to them being walkthroughs, but the team listed him as a DNP on Tuesday due to an illness, and limited on Wednesday. Ian Rapoport reported that he is expected to play.

St. Brown is a must-start even if he is a little banged up. If he is active, you play him. For Montgomery, he’s worth starting if you planned on starting him prior to the illness. The only reason not to start him is if you were planning on starting someone else even with a healthy Montgomery.