Two Key Detroit Lions Defensive Backs Still Not Practicing

The Detroit Lions returned to the practice field on Thursday afternoon, after the team held a walkthrough to start the week on Wednesday.

Those not spotted at the portion of practice open to the media included safety Kerby Joseph and cornerback Terrion Arnold, who remains in the league's concussion protocol.

Penei Sewell, Brian Branch and Taylor Decker were all participating in practice. Head coach Dan Campbell did not appear to have much concern earlier in the week regarding Branch's toe injury.

Campbell indicated the team would evaluate cornerback D.J. Reed the next couple of days and was 'hopeful' he could return against the New York Giants.

Detroit is working to avoid another letdown against a 2-9 team that dismissed their head coach, due to their lack of ability closing out games.

The Giants were able to battle the Green Bay Packers and were only defeated by a score of 27-20.

Campbell indicated earlier this week that despite the team not currently holding a spot in the playoffs, the level of urgency does not really change.

Currently, the Chicago Bears sit at the top of the division, followed by the Packers. Detroit still has three remaining games against rivals in the division, including a regular-season finale showdown against Ben Johnson on the road.

Despite having a 6-4 record, Detroit's fifth-year head coach expressed the team has had a strong sense of urgency. By avoiding adding too much additional pressure, mistakes in games can be mostly avoided.

"Well, here’s what I would say. We’ve had urgency. We’re an urgent team," said Campbell. "Things haven’t gone our way that we would like. I mean we would love to be sitting here undefeated right now and that’s not the reality, we’re not undefeated. But there’s an urgency that’s there. And I know this, if you say, ‘Well let’s ramp up more urgency,’ that’s when you start making mistakes, that’s when you start panicking, that’s when guys start doing things they shouldn’t do.

"They’re trying to make plays and then they cost us all. That’s where bad stuff really happens because that means you don’t really believe in what you’re doing," Campbell commented further. "You’re grasping for straws. I know what we’re doing, I know what we need to do. We go back to work, we clean up the little things, we adjust, we adapt, we move on and let’s find a way to get a (win).”