Lions Notebook: DE Cliff Avril cleared for contact despite missing practice

When Lions DE Cliff Avril didn't take part in drills open to media Wednesday, it was assumed the reason for his absence was partly because of the concussion that forced him from Sunday's game against the Vikings. After practice, however, Avril told reporters he felt fine, and he was cleared for contact.

By John Kreger

Nov 15, 2012 at 1:07 am ET • 4 min read

Defensive end Cliff Avril told reporters he is fine and has been cleared for contact. (US Presswire)

When Lions DE Cliff Avril didn’t take part in drills open to media Wednesday, it was assumed the reason for his absence was partly because of the concussion that forced him from Sunday’s game against the Vikings.

After practice, however, Avril told reporters he felt fine, and he was cleared for contact.

“If I still had a concussion, I probably wouldn’t be talking to [media],” he said. “I feel great and I’m ready to get things going.”

The fact that Avril was able to recover from his concussion symptoms quickly supports coach Jim Schwartz’s assertion that his concussion was different than the concussions suffered by other Lions this season.

"[Avril] was much improved after the game, probably more so than with a lot of the other concussions that we've had," Schwartz said Monday. "He'll have to go through a protocol to return, but he presented different after the game than some of the other guys have."

While there’s no reason to doubt Avril's and Schwartz’s comments, it’s worth noting the Lions did clarify their Wednesday practice report to include Avril’s concussion as one of the reasons he was held out of practice. The decision to include the concussion in Avril’s injury distinction places his status for Sunday’s game in question until he proves he can participate in contact drills.

Ask and ye shall receive -- Suh gets credit for sack in loss to Vikings: Lions DT Ndamukong Suh is a creature of routine, so it was surprising when he chose not to speak with media Wednesday during the time when he normally speaks with reporters. Suh left the locker room after asking a member of the Lions’ PR staff about the procedure for investigating a play during Detroit's loss to Minnesota when he believed he was erroneously denied credit for a sack.

The play occurred with 6:57 remaining in third quarter, when Vikings QB Christian Ponder tripped while taking a snap. Suh was the first player to touch Ponder on the ground, which is normally the standard used for crediting players with tackles, but Lions LB DeAndre Levy was given credit for the tackle in the initial statistics.

Suh’s insistence that he should be credited with the stop paid off when Elias Sports Bureau –- the NFL’s statisticians of record –- changed the play from a run to a pass attempt, and awarded Suh the sack he coveted.

Suh now has 4.5 sacks on the season, tying him with Avril for the team lead. By making 4.5 sacks through nine games this season, Suh has already bettered his 2011 sack total of four.

Lions taking their time over decision on CB Florence’s status: When cornerback Drayton Florence broke his forearm in Week 2, Lions coaches used the team’s only designation to allow a player to return from Injured Reserve this season to ensure that he could contribute if needed at a later date.

Florence’s mandatory eight-week inactive period has now passed, and the team has yet to return him to the 53-man roster. He has practiced for the last two weeks, and doesn’t appear to be suffering any lingering effects of the broken arm, but Schwartz wouldn’t confirm if or when Florence would be returned to active duty.

“We certainly have a plan [concerning Florence’s status], and we’ll execute that plan as the week goes on and see how he does with that,” Schwartz said. “He’s been progressing very well and has worked very hard to come back.”

Florence has a week remaining on an evaluation period the team can use to gauge his fitness. A Lions official said the team has until the Wednesday after Detroit’s Week 11 game against Green Bay to activate him to the roster –- they would be required to release a player to open a roster spot –- or keep him on IR for the remainder of the season.

Practice report: In addition to Avril [no practice: concussion, back], the Lions listed the following players on the team’s Wednesday practice participation report: No Practice -- S Erik Coleman (eye), S Louis Delmas (knee), CB Chris Houston (ankle), WR Calvin Johnson (knee), S Amari Spievey (concussion) and DT Corey Williams (knee). Limited Practice -- K Jason Hanson (left foot), LB Ashlee Palmer (chest) and WR Titus Young (knee).