The Detroit Lions escaped a big scare on Saturday when quarterback Matthew Stafford's injured left hand turned out to be just a broken blood vessel. But the secondary -- which could be the difference between merely another playoff appearance and Detroit making a serious run at the Super Bowl -- was not so lucky.
Rookie Bill Bentley, a third-round pick from Louisiana-Lafayette who has been in the starting lineup at times this preseason, left in the first half after injuring his shoulder. Joining him on the bench in the first half was fellow corner Chris Houston, who banged up his ankle. It is not yet known how serious either of those injuries are, though there has been no indication that either Bentley or Houston will miss the start of the regular season.
With those two out, the Lions were forced to elevate Jacob Lacey, Justin Miller and Alphonso Smith.
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