The Detroit Lions defense appears to have taken another hit in their Week 18 regular season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.
Rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold left the game in the third quarter with what appeared to be a lower-leg injury after making a tackle. He remained on the turf for several moments before being immediately carted to the locker room.
Arnold was initially ruled questionable to return. He left the game with 11:39 remaining in the third quarter and the Lions leading the Vikings 10-6. Kindle Vildor replaced Arnold at cornerback opposite Amik Robertson. Detroit led Minnesota 17-9 at the end of the third quarter.
The rookie made a massive play earlier in the third quarter, breaking up a fourth-down pass intended for Jordan Addison in the end zone to force a turnover on downs. However, the Lions gave the ball back to the Vikings on the next play when Jared Goff was intercepted by Harrison Smith.
In the week leading up to Sunday's game, the hype for the matchup was at a fever pitch. The winner of Sunday's game claims the NFC's No. 1 seed and the NFC North crown. Dan Campbell embraced the pressure, as he's built the team to do throughout his tenure.
The Lions entered Sunday's game with a 5-0 record in primetime games this season, as they pride themselves on preparing and focusing solely on the game ahead of them rather than look ahead.
"It really is about the preparation. That's one of the first things I put up this week is the prep work. You've got to know this opponent, know the plan," Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket prior to the game. "The plan is good, and it's gonna give these guys a chance to go out and execute and give them an opportunity to have success."
