Aidan Hutchinson Feels 'Pretty Good' Ahead of Jets Game

Detroit Lions will have Aidan Hutchinson return to practice Friday.

The Detroit Lions have been battling illness throughou recent weeks, with three players missing practice Wednesday as a result. Among them was rookie defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he hopes for the team to keep the bug contained. Hutchinson will be back in action for the Lions Friday, as he will practice.

“Hutch is out here (Friday), he feels pretty good,” Campbell said.

Hutchinson has become a key part of the Lions' defense. His seven sacks leads all rookies.

The Lions’ opponent, the New York Jets, has injury questions of its own. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who leads the team with 11 sacks, has been dealing with a calf injury that has held him out of practice for the last two days.

“He’s a monster, that’s why,” Campbell said. “Not having him, that takes some juice out of that defense. Now, it’s still a good defense, believe me, they still have plenty over there. But, he’s a difference-maker. I don’t want any player to be hurt, but that would certainly help us.”

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Jets will start Zach Wilson

The Jets reportedly will start Zach Wilson at quarterback in Week 15. Wilson had been demoted from the starting role since Oct. 30, but an injury to Mike White will make him the starter once again. White suffered a rib injury last Sunday, in a loss to the Bills.

Campbell said the team isn’t surprised by the move, as his staff was already preparing to face the second-year signal-caller.

“We kind of had an idea, so we’re ready,” Campbell said. “We knew he was going to the game anyway, so we figured they were gonna play him. It’s really the same thing, it’s about being disciplined. We know what kind of game this will be, what they’re gonna want to do offensively. We’ve gotta play our keys, gotta be disciplined, gotta run, we’ve gotta hit, all the same things that we know here.”

Wilson has started seven games this season, throwing for 1,279 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions.

Notes

Campbell said he is not “scoreboard watching” with regards to other games around the league. The Lions need help from teams across the league in reaching the playoffs, and the San Francisco 49ers’ win over the Seattle Seahawks helped their chances.

Detroit's second-year head coach added that he didn’t watch the game but looked at the final score.

“It’s nice to be able to look up there and see that it’s a team that’s in front of us that did get a loss. And so, it’s hard to ignore that,” Campbell explained. “But, also, we know, our guys know, we have to do our part.”