By admin 
The Detroit Lions (11-4) and Dallas Cowboys (10-5) have declared their Week 17 injury designations and they are potentially looking at a thin secondary based on late-week injury to a defensive back and a slower-than-expected recovery time with another.
NOTE: Any changes from yesterday’s injury report will be bolded.
Ruled OUT
- TE Brock Wright (hip)
- EDGE James Houston (leg) — evaluation days remaining: 20
- DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson (pectoral) — evaluation days remaining: 13
Wright has not practiced for two weeks now and will miss his second game in a row. By not being placed on injured reserve—which would make him unavailable for four weeks—there’s a good chance the Lions are expecting him to be ready for the playoffs. In the interim, James Mitchell gets promoted to the TE2 spot.
James Houston began his injury evaluation clock on Thursday and will now have 20 days to figure out if/when he will be able to return to the active roster. While eligible to return at any time, him being ruled out means he won’t be elevated for this game, but he still has the potential to return in Week 18 or the playoffs.
Gardner-Johnson has been trending toward returning to playing for a few weeks but it appears he is not yet ready to be activated. With him being ruled out, we will likely have to wait until Week 18 for him to return.
Questionable
- Cam Sutton (toe)
Sutton appeared to suffer a midweek toe injury and was not seen at practice on Thursday. A questionable designation leaves the door open for him to play on Sunday, but midweek injuries can often be difficult to recover from in time for a Sunday, much less a Saturday one.
Not listed with an injury designation
- LT Taylor Decker (groin)
- C Frank Ragnow (toe/back/knee)
- RT Penei Sewell (shoulder)
- LB Derrick Barnes (shoulder)
- CB Jerry Jacobs (hamstring)
- FB Jason Cabina (knee)
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Decker and Ragnow each got veteran rest days (on Wednesday and Thursday respectively) but neither will carry an injury designation into the game. Sewell also does not carry a designation, meaning the Lions will have their entire starting offensive line together again.
Barnes and Jacobs both missed last weekend’s game but each got in a full week of practice and are good to go against the Cowboys.
Cabinda was officially activated from injured reserve and was placed on the 53-man roster. He does not carry an injury designation into this game meaning he’s good to go. In addition to adding Cabinda, the Lions released CB Chase Lucas and LB Trevor Nowaske. Cabinda will take one of those now open slots, but the other remains open for another upcoming move.
Cowboys injury designations
Ruled OUT
- RB Rico Dowdle (ankle)
- NT Johnathan Hankins (knee/ankle)
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Questionable
- LT Tyron Smith (back)
- DE Viliami Fehoko (knee, IR designated for return)
Not listed with an injury designation
- FB Hunter Luepke (thigh)
- OT Chuma Edoga (toe)
- OT Matt Waletzko (shoulder)
- S Malik Hooker (ankle)