Lions Starting Running Back Returning From IR to Play Bolts on Sunday

Montgomery was dealing with a rib injury that he suffered in Week 5 against the Buccaneers, and in his absence, the Lions have been forced to shift a way from some of their inside runs and clock-chewing style of play that a power-back like Montgomery was instrumental for.

This is particularly big news for this matchup against the Chargers, as running the ball more, controlling the clock, and wearing down the Bolts' defense is likely the Lions' best approach to coming away with a victory. 

Detroit keeping their defense off the field and the ball away from Justin Herbert reduces the Chargers' odds of heroics offensively, especially as Kellen Moore's group has struggled as of late. 

This also opens the door to a lot more play action from Detroit, which they excel at, along with improving their goal-line efficiency, as Montgomery is one of the best short-yardage backs in the NFL.

Making matters worse for the Chargers, explosive running back Jahmyr Gibbs who has been taking over Montgomery's workload in his absence, is presumably going to revert back to his change-of-pace role, reducing his fatigue when he's on the field, and subsequently increasing his tendency of breaking off a big play. 

This is a tough matchup for the Chargers irrespective of the Montgomery injury, but now that he's set to return, it's only going to get that much harder. 

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