The Detroit Lions carried their roll into Sunday’s 37-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, moving to 4-1 on the season. Dan Campbell‘s team showed a whole effort across all three phases. But even in victory, the post-game tension had an underlying tone.

The focus immediately shifted from the victory to the status of one of their most consistent veterans. Left tackle Taylor Decker.

Post-game, Dan Campbell validated Lions’ fans’ worst fears: the unit won’t be seeing Taylor Decker on the field anytime in the near future. The experienced tackle, downgraded to doubtful in the hours leading up to kickoff prior to being ruled out, has been dealing with a nagging problem involving his shoulder that has prevented him from being full-go.

Campbell reported that keeping Decker under wraps was a long-term plan instead of a short one. ”I don’t want to put Decker out there if it means that we get a couple of games and we don’t have him for the rest of the year,” Campbell said. “It makes no sense. So we’ll play this smart. We’ll do what’s right. And then next man up. If it’s not him, it’s next man up.”

That “next man up” proved to be second-year lineman Giovanni Manu, who played in his first career NFL start on Sunday. The Lions’ head coach went on to say that the reason the decision was made to put Decker on the inactive list was because of the “diminishing returns.” ”We want to get him right and make sure he’s good to go for the long season ahead,” Campbell said, keeping Manu, Dan Skipper, or Connor Cochran on standby to play next week.

Manu’s performance on the other hand, quickly demonstrated why Decker’s loss is so debilitating for quarterback Jared Goff and the Lions’ offense. The tackle fought hard and often, being hounded continuously by the Bengals’ outside pass rushers. Give Manu some credit: he fought through the game and gained a great deal of experience, but his inconsistency was evident. The contrast in protection was dramatic, putting into perspective just how much Decker’s veteran leadership is required to keep Goff at ease in the pocket.

Decker’s reliability has been a staple of Detroit’s offense for years. Over nine seasons, he’s started 107 games as a starter, offering dependable Goff’s blind side and guidance to the offensive line. Losing that kind of experience, even temporarily, is a big hit to an offense that prides itself on rhythm and timing.

However, Jack Fox’s 63-yard punt was expertly fair caught on the 3-yard line by wide receiver Jared TeSlaa. On the next play, Robertson picked off Jake Browning’s pass from the 19-yard line to gain a short field for the offense. Four plays later, David Montgomery found tight end Brock Wright with a touchdown that put Detroit in a dominating position at 14-0.

Nevertheless, Campbell was optimistic about the unit for the rest of the season. “Next man up” is always his attitude, and Detroit’s depth along the line is going to be tested again in Week 6. For now, Goff needs to be protected.

Dan’s Lions report injury updates

The Lions did come out of the Bengals game fairly healthy. Cornerback Terrion Arnold re-injured his shoulder in the second half of the game and they had to replace him. Arnold had also been having trouble with the same issue since Week 4, and whether he plays next week is uncertain. He also pulled two penalties early in the half, one of which would have negated an Aidan Hutchinson sack.

Safety Brian Branch gave fans a brief fright when he limped off in the direction of the end of the third quarter after taking a massive hit. Trainers taped his right leg. So, he returned to play after sitting out a few snaps, avoiding what could otherwise have been a severe setback.

Receiver Kalif Raymond was not as lucky. The special teams player departed in the first half following a vicious hit on a punt return and never returned with a neck injury. Raymond, who had returned a punt score for a touchdown last week against Cleveland, will be monitored closely this week.

Detroit also saw cornerback Rock Ya-Sin limp out of the fourth quarter. His brief departure cost dearly as Ja’Marr Chase took advantage of replacement Amik Robertson for a 64-yard touchdown. Ya-Sin did return. But he the trainers guided him off the gridiron again with just less than five minutes remaining.

The fighting spirit sustained the Lions throughout the game despite disillusionment caused by injury blunders. Campbell praised the determination and effort of his players but observed that having veteran players such as Decker for the future is more relevant than immediate success.

At the same time, Detroit will enable the rest of the league to catch up by Week 6 without rushing their stars back onto the field. Decker’s rehab remains job one. And as Campbell asserted, Goff’s safety starts with patience and sound decision-making.