Coming off the bye, Detroit (3-2) expects to return its safety and center for Sunday's division clash with Green Bay (4-2).
The Lions are getting reinforcements just in time for a tough stretch of division games. Head coach Dan Campbell said Monday that safety Brian Branch and center Cade Mays are both expected to play this week against the Packers, barring any setbacks between now and kickoff.
Branch and Mays returned to practice a couple of weeks ago, and the coaching staff has been easing them back in. Campbell was careful not to promise a full workload for either player right away. "I think that'd be asking a lot to say he's going to play 70 plays," he said, adding that the team feels Branch can handle a solid chunk of snaps.
To help manage the ramp-up, Detroit shifted its practice schedule this week, working out on a day it normally would have off so players like Branch and Mays could get extra reps before a built-in rest day. Campbell said that approach should give the staff a clearer picture of what both players can handle by game time.
The Lions are coming off their bye and face a stretch of back-to-back games against NFC North rivals, starting with Green Bay.