The Detroit Lions will catch a little bit of a break this week as they prepare to face the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football. Packers coach Matt LaFleur announced on Friday afternoon that star pass rusher Za’Darius Smith will be sidelined for “a little while” to a lingering back injury. When asked if Smith was headed to short-term injured reserve, LaFleur responded, “Yeah.”
Smith has led the Packers' defense in sacks in each of the past two seasons. Last year, he tallied 12.5 sacks for Green Bay, and in 2019, he had 13.