Lions rule out starting offensive lineman, James Houston active

MINNEAPOLIS — The Detroit Lions will be down an offensive lineman against Minnesota’s aggressive defensive front, ruling out Pro Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler for Sunday’s game against the Vikings.

Zeitler suffered an injury during practice on Thursday. He’s listed with a groin issue on the injury report, although head coach Dan Campbell called it a hip problem. Zeitler was officially listed as questionable for the game, but losing him was no surprise.

“Look, if you’re asking me, I think it’s going to be hard to say he’s playing,” Campbell said on Friday. “I think it’ll be hard to say he’s playing, but I don’t want to say he’s out right now, I’m not there yet.”

The Lions are expected to turn to Kayode Awosika on their offensive line. Awosika has appeared in 30 games over the last three seasons in Detroit and made six starts, including two weeks ago against Seattle. The Lions rolled to more than 40 points that day and Awosika did not allow a sack.

The rest of the inactives for Detroit: Safety Loren Strickland, edge rusher Isaiah Thomas, tight end Parker Hesse, offensive tackle Giovanni Manu and receiver Isaiah Williams.

That means cornerback Carlton Davis is active despite a quad injury that limited him throughout the practice week. Tight end Shane Zylstra (who played his college ball at nearby Minnesota State) is active in Hesse’s place, providing another target in the passing game, while pass rusher James Houston is also up.

Houston has been a healthy scratch for most of the season, but is getting another chance following the Aidan Hutchinson injury. Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike and Isaac Ukwu are expected to lead the way on the edge, while Houston and Pat O’Connor are also up to fortify the numbers on the defensive front.

Minnesota’s inactives: Quarterback Brett Rypien, cornerback Akayleb Evans, cornerback Dwight McGlovern, running back Myles Gaskin, defensive lineman Levi Drake Rodriguez, linebacker Blake Cashman and tackle Walter Rouse.

• BETTING: Check out our guide to the best Michigan sportsbooks, where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks.