The Lions will take another shot at ending their long Lambeau Field losing streak on Sunday afternoon without starting center Dominic Raiola.
Raiola has been suspended one game after stepping on Bears defensive lineman Ego Ferguson in last weekend’s game, leaving the Lions to start Travis Swanson at center for the first time in his NFL career. Swanson said that he’s been getting help from Raiola and other veterans on the offensive line as he prepares to face the Packers and coach Jim Caldwell said Thursday that he has no concerns about how Swanson will handle his responsibilities.
“I have none,” Caldwell said, via the Detroit Free Press. “I have none at all. I’ve been different places where, you know, I’m always drawing up on old experiences, where we’ve had guys in the first part of the season that were young players, rookies that stepped in and played for us on some very good teams. I think for the most part, we expect him to be good, we expect him to get his job done just like we did when [rookie tackle Cornelius] Lucas stepped in there very early. … We’re expecting the same thing from Swanny. He’s got a great work habit. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be perfect by any stretch of the imagination. You can’t be perfect in this league.”
Swanson isn’t totally without experience after making three starts at guard earlier this year, but there are still adjustments that will have to be made as he moves into the lineup at center. Making them as painless as possible will be important to the Lions’ chances of becoming the first team this year and the first Lions team in decades to earn a win in Green Bay.