The bye week is utilized by teams from around the NFL as a time to get healthy. It is the one week of the season where practices aren't hugely important since there is no game plan to implement, and players get most of the week off anyway. For the Lions, that has especially been the case this week, as more than a third of the team isn't practicing.
↵18 players sat out practice on Wednesday, and on Thursday that number went up to 19. If there was a game on Sunday, you would see guys fighting through their injuries to be out there, but since this is the bye, they get the luxury of not having to practice. Plus, many guys are just taking a few days off to get some much needed rest, as they may not have any significant injuries at all.
↵The result of all this produced the following list of players sidelined from practice on Thursday: QB Shaun Hill, RB Jahvid Best, RB Kevin Smith, WR Calvin Johnson, WR Nate Burleson, WR Bryant Johnson, TE Will Heller, TE Brandon Pettigrew, OT Jeff Backus, OG Stephen Peterman, DE Turk McBride, DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, DT Corey Williams, DT Andre Fluellen, LB Zack Follett, LB DeAndre Levy, CB Nate Vasher, CB Alphonso Smith and S Louis Delmas.
↵The Lions will return to practice next week as they start preparing for the Washington Redskins, which come to town on Halloween.