Brandon Pettigrew officially ruled out against N.Y. Giants
Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew (87) celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown in the end zone during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew suffered an ankle injury during the team’s heart-breaking Monday Night Football loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and there has always been a high level of concern and pessimism regarding Pettigrew’s chances of playing this week against the New York Giants. He was seen on crutches during Wednesday’s practice, and Pettigrew was unable to practice all week. Yesterday, Lions official site beat writer Tim Twentyman tweeted out confirmation that the Lions have ruled out Pettigrew for tomorrow’s game against the Giants.
Pettigrew isn’t a focal part of the Lions offense by any means, but Matthew Stafford trusts him to move the chains. So far this season, Pettigrew has hauled in 41 passes for 416 yards, but the interesting thing is that he’s only caught five passes in a game twice this season. His loss hurts the Lions with every game being incredibly important in the battle for the NFC North crown, but he isn’t a big loss and shouldn’t affect the Lions chances of beating the Giants too much. Think about it this way, if the Lions lose then it will be due to a much bigger issue than Pettigrew’s absence.
He was never expected to play this week, and I think he was viewed as an inactive ever since it was reported that Pettigrew was on crutches and Lions head coach Jim Schwartz had plenty of concern. Also helping the Lions here is that rookie tight end Joseph Fauria is an absolute monster in the red zone, and the drop-off between Pettigrew and Fauria isn’t big. While Pettigrew is more athletic, Fauria is an intriguing player who brings plenty to the table.