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‘Lions may have lost the Super Bowl last night’

Vaseline October 14, 2024

The response from NFL experts was swift and decisive Monday morning, the day after defensive end Aidan Hutchinson suffered a broken tibia during the Detroit Lions’ 47-9 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Dallas.

During ESPN’s “Get Up” show Monday morning, analyst and former NFL head coach Rex Ryan was asked if the Lions are still Super Bowl contenders without Hutchinson.

“Ah man, they dominated the game, obviously won the game, but might have lost the Super Bowl,” Ryan said. “That’s how I see it. That’s how good a player Aidan Hutchinson is. It’s just a damn shame because this is a kid right here, a homegrown man who is so proud of that team, that organization, a Dan Campbell hand-picked player , him and Penei Sewell, who represent this team so well.

“Not only are you losing the best defensive player in the league, but you’re losing that leader. You see that team. They’re going to try to rally around him; they’re great teammates and all that stuff. From that standpoint, this opens the door. Some of these other teams that didn’t have a chance against Detroit now have a chance.”

ESPN analyst and former Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky said Hutchinson’s loss has “Super Bowl impact, hands down.”

“The best team in the NFC lost arguably their best player,” Orlovsky said. “This is like if the Chiefs lost (defensive lineman) Chris Jones. We’re talking about a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. Not only that, but a man who has absolutely changed the complexity of this organization, and there is no doubt about that, they say. they can win the Super Bowl with him. I hope and pray he gets better.

“If you’re the Detroit Lions, you can’t pass up this window. Last year you missed the window because of a missed fourth down. You can’t pass up this window. The No. 1 call is to the Las Vegas Raiders for Maxx Crosby The second call you make is to the Browns for Myles Garrett and/or Za’Darius Smith. The third call you make is to the Jets for Haason Reddick.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said, “It’s hard to overstate how crushing an injury this is for Detroit on the field and in the locker room.”

“He (Hutchinson) should be fine in 2025 based on the initial diagnosis,” Rapoport said. “First and foremost, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of Adian Hutchinson. If it takes time, it takes time. This is undoubtedly one of the worst moments of his life. As for how Detroit will replace him, you can That’s just not possible. This is a potential candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. It’s crushing for everyone involved.”

Fox Sports analyst, seven-time Super Bowl champion and former Michigan quarterback Tom Brady was asked who he thought was the best team in the NFL.

“The team (Lions) we’re looking at here,” Brady said. “They are the most balanced, offensive, defensive and the most creative. Their ability to do difficult things well. Not only can they control the ball well, they have two guys who control the ball well. I think they can control the ball have the best offensive line in football.”