The Detroit Lions have emerged from their bye week and are now beginning their on-field preparations for the divisional round when they'll host the Washington Commanders on Saturday. And it looks like the week off did members on the roster some good, particularly David Montgomery.
The team listed Montgomery as a full participant on its first practice report of the week Tuesday. It's worth noting that the team conducted a walk-through so the participation designation is an estimate, but it's encouraging nonetheless for Montgomery's status as he eyes his return as Detroit begins its playoff march.
This development with Montgomery comes after head coach Dan Campbell confirmed to reporters on Monday that the running back is set to return after missing three games due to a knee injury. Initially, the injury was thought to be season-ending for Montgomery, but upon further tests and second opinions, he's slated to gallop around Detroit's backfield roughly a month removed from going down.
"No. 5 is a big part of us," Campbell said, via the official team website. "He's a huge part of us. To me, he's a bell cow. He's somebody that is a tone-setter. He's a catalyst. There's a place for him here and a place for him in this game."
Having Montgomery back in the fold is a tremendous development for the Lions. While fellow back Jahmyr Gibbs was more than capable of carrying the load in Montgomery's absence, the two create arguably the top running back duo in the league and are a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. This season, the Lions averaged the sixth-highest rushing yards per game average (146.4) in the NFL.
This could be an X factor in their upcoming playoff showdown against the Commanders, who have a weak run defense. During the regular season, Washington gave up 137.5 yards on the ground, which was third-most in the league. The Commanders also gave up 4.8 yards per carry, tied for third-most in the NFL.
Meanwhile, on top of Montgomery, cornerback Terrion Arnold (foot) was also listed as a full participant. Defensive lineman Pat O'Connor (calf), cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (hamstring, illness) and guard Kevin Zeitler (hamstring) were listed as nonparticipants.