Calvin Johnson likely out for Week 6, Michael Roos could miss season
The Lions also sign their third kicker of the season with the addition of Matt Prater.
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In recent years, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson has dealt with the occasional nagging injury. He's dealing with one again, a high-ankle sprain that stands to hold him out of Detroit's game against the Minnesota Vikings this weekend and perhaps longer.
The injury kept Johnson out of practice on Wednesday, giving him much-needed rest. According to Lions beat writer Tim Twentyman, Megatron would need “a lot of treatment” to suit up this Sunday. Consequently, it’s difficult to envision the Lions allowing their superstar receiver to play.
Johnson suffered the injury against the the Buffalo Bills last weekend when the helmet of a Buffalo defender collided with his leg. If he does indeed sit out this week, the Lions' top-receiver duties would fall on Golden Tate.
Prater inks deal with Lions
The Lions signed former Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater to a 1-year deal on Tuesday. Prater will replace Alex Henery, who was released on Monday following an awful 0-for-3 performance in the team's 17-14 loss to Buffalo. Henery had been signed a few weeks ago to replace Nate Freese, the Lions' opening-week placekicker whose struggles began the the carousel.
Prater has been mostly successful, converting 81.6 percent of his field goal attempts during his eight-year NFL career. Last year for Denver, Prater converted a league-best 96.2 percent of his kicks. However, a four-game suspension for alcohol use allowed Brandon McManus to win the Denver starting job. The Broncos released Prater at the conclusion of his suspension.
For three decades, the Lions employed only two placekickers, All-Pro Eddie Murray and franchise-leading scorer Jason Hanson. This season alone has seen Detroit cycle through three, with more to come should Prater falter.
Favre respects Manning breaking his record
Brett Favre played for two full decades in the NFL. During that time, he amassed nearly 72,000 yards and 508 touchdowns. Those marks may seem impossible to match, but they remain within reach for Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who threw his his 503 touchdown last weekend.
While some players might express animosity towards someone breaking their records, Favre has gone a different route. “I’m glad it’s Peyton that’s doing it,” the retired quarterback said during an AP interview. “I think a lot of Peyton. I know him well. I know his family well. His dad was one of my idols.”
Trailing Favre by only five touchdowns, it's possible that Manning could break the career touchdown record this weekend. The Broncos travel to New York to take on the New York Jets.
Titans could lose Roos for the season
The hopes of the 1-4 Tennessee Titans took another blow Wednesday when it was revealed that left tackle Michael Roos will likely undergo knee surgery. The procedure could end Roos' season.
The injury comes as a surprise to the Titans and Roos, who played all 68 of the team’s offensive snaps this past Sunday. According to the report, he felt discomfort after the game, and the feeling didn’t dissipate the following day. Both Roos and the team declined to provide additional specifics about the injury.
Roos has started all but one game for the Titans since joining the team as a second-round draft pick in 2005. While he recovers, 2014 first-round pick Taylor Lewan would slide in at left tackle.
Johnson misses practice for Texans
Heading into the biggest divisional game of their season to date, the Houston Texans might be without top wide receiver Andre Johnson. Johnson did not participate in practice in practice on Monday due to a knee injury, and his status for this Thursday night's game against the Indianapolis Colts is suddenly in doubt.
While Johnson has been banged up from time to time the last couple of seasons, he hasn’t missed a game since 2011. Through five games, Johnson is tops on the team in targets (42) and catches (27), and second on the team in receiving yards (320). He’s been the Texans’ top pass-catcher for over a decade.
If Johnson cannot suit up, second-year receiver DeAndre Hopkins would step in as the team's No. 1 receiver. Hopkins has enjoyed a breakout season so far in 2014, compiling 354 yards and three touchdowns in Houston's first five games.
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