ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 13: Aidan Hutchinson #97 of the Detroit Lions is tended to by medical staff after injuring his leg while recording a sack on Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys in the third quarter of a game at AT&T Stadium on October 13, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) (Sam Hodde, 2024 Getty Images)
DALLAS – The Detroit Lions embarrassed the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, but the game itself was overshadowed by Aidan Hutchinson’s horrible leg injury.
What happened
The injury happened 3 minutes into the third quarter, with the Lions destroying the Cowboys by a score of 34-6.
Dallas faced a second and five from its own 34-yard line.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott took the snap and barely had time to drop back before Hutchinson was in his face.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) recovers from being sacked by Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, left, in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Hutchinson wrapped him up, but as they were going to the ground, Hutchinson appeared to let go and flinch in pain.
It was sack No. 7.5 for the former University of Michigan star, which leads the NFL. But Hutchinson stayed on the ground after the play.
Scene after injury
Replayed showed that Hutchinson’s left leg bent awkwardly, and as he was lying on the ground, he appeared to say that he knew it was broken.
The game was delayed for several minutes. Trainers from both teams rushed onto the field and fitted Hutchinson with an air cast.
The FOX broadcast said the replay would not be shown again, due to its graphic nature.
Hutchinson eventually left the field lying on his back on a cart, a massive cast on his leg.
The mood in the stadium never recovered — that much was obvious even on TV.
Initial diagnosis
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after the game that Hutchinson is staying at the hospital in Dallas for treatment.
“It would be the — it’s the tibia,” Campbell said.
Campbell was asked if Hutchinson went into immediate surgery for a “compound fracture,” and he said “yes.” That was corrected by the team afterward, which said it is not a compound fracture.
What Dan Campbell said
Here’s what Campbell said about the injury in his postgame press conference.
“It was tough,” Campbell said. “He’s in good hands right now. He’s being taken care of. He’ll stay back here, and obviously, he’s going to be down for a little while.
“That’s tough. It’s hard when you lose somebody like him. But we’ll know a lot more after this, and, obviously, wish him the best.”
He was later asked for the initial diagnosis.
“The fact that it’s an injury,” Campbell said. “It’s going to be — he’ll be down for awhile.
Jared Goff weighs in
Here’s what quarterback Jared Goff said about Hutchinson’s injury after the game.
“Really tough,” Goff said. “He’s a guy who’s part of the heartbeat of this team. He’s a leader. He does everything right. He’s a great teammate. He’s everything you want in a player and a teammate, and to have him go down like that and to be visibly upset is tough for all of us.
“He will be fine. He’s going to come back eventually, whenever that may be. But knowing him, he will be fine and he will bounce back.”
What we don’t know
Other than the details shared by Campbell, we don’t have an official diagnosis from medical experts on Hutchinson’s injury.
While it sure seems like Hutchinson will be done for the season, we don’t know the official timeline for his absence, either.
We should learn much more about the injury in the next couple of days.
Lions pass rush
No team wants to lose a star player, but this injury could be particularly devastating for the Lions.
This franchise has never been to a Super Bowl, and this is probably the best Lions team in more than 60 years.
But if there’s one weakness, it’s the pass rush. Hutchinson is a bit of a one-man wrecking crew.
Without him, it’s possible the Lions will struggle to pressure the quarterback, and that’s a difficult flaw to overcome in the NFL.
Detroit’s offense looks elite, especially along the offensive line and in the backfield. This still looks like a Super Bowl contender, but Hutchinson was probably the most important player on the roster.
David Montgomery postgame
Running back David Montgomery was interviewed on the field after rushing for 80 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
FOX’s Erin Andrews asked him about Hutchinson.
“The first thing that I always do: I give grace and I give thanks to God, just ask him to cover him,” Montgomery said. “You know, that’s a big loss to us. Aidan is definitely the heartbeat of our team, of that defense, but he’s a warrior. He’s a strong dude. So we’re going to take it personal. We’re going to do it for 97. He deserves it, so it’s prayers up to him and I know God will cover him.”
Brian Branch postgame
Safety Brian Brach talked to the Lions postgame show about the injury. Branch picked off two passes and had six tackles (five solo) in the game.
“We know how much Hutch means to this team, to this defense alone,” Branch said. He’s a tone-setter, and just seeing him go down like that — you don’t ever want to wish that on none of us.
“Alex (Anzalone) pulled us together, and we all knew, we already knew we had to do it for Hutch.”
Lions beat Cowboys
The Lions won the game, 47-9, scoring on every single drive from the starting offense.
The Cowboys failed to get into the end zone.
Detroit out-gained Dallas in yardage, 492-251.
Campbell highlighted that the defense forced multiple turnovers in the game — specifically three interceptions and two fumbles.
The Lions are now 4-1, good for the second-best record in the NFC, behind only the 5-0 Vikings.
