Several Lions players miss Tuesday's practice

Coming off a disheartening loss to the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving Day, a handful of key Detroit Lions players were not on the practice field on Tuesday, according to a report by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

In addition to starting wide receiver Titus Young, who continues to sit out for disciplinary reasons, the Lions did not have the services of offensive linemen Jeff Backus, Gosder Cherilus and Rob Sims to kick off their week of practices. A 12-year veteran, Backus had his 186-game consecutive start streak halted against Houston due to a hamstring injury, but told Birkett that he is feeling better and hopes to play in Week 13 against Indianapolis.

Also unable to take the field on Tuesday were defenders Cliff Avril, Corey Williams and Louis Delmas. Both Williams and Delmas continue to deal with nagging knee injuries, while Avril is trying to recover from a back problem that has limited his production as of late. Unable to stay healthy throughout much of the season after undergoing surgery in training camp, Delmas will once again be a question mark for the weekend after knee soreness forced him off the field late last Thursday.