The Detroit Lions are getting healthy at the right time.

Defensive lineman Alim McNeill’s return a couple weeks ago was a big boost to Detroit's defense and now it appears a couple more key players are closing in on their return to the field.

Cornerback D.J. Reed was back at practice Wednesday for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury Week 4 against Cleveland. Reed is Detroit's top cornerback, and his return would be a huge boost to Detroit's secondary. Opponents were completing just 50 percent of the passes thrown his way the first four games of the season with a 44.3 passer rating against.

Edge rusher Marcus Davenport suffered a pectoral injury Week 2 in the win vs. Chicago and has been sidelined since. Detroit started his 21-day practice window to return from IR Wednesday. Davenport will bolster Detroit's talent and depth on the edge of their defensive front when he returns

It's a stark contrast to where the team was injury-wise this time last year when they were losing so many players to injury and having to piece together their units on the fly week to week. They are pretty healthy heading into mid-November and looking to get several key players back for the stretch run of the season.

GOFF'S MVP PLAY

Lions head coach Dan Campbell and his staff presented this week's game plan to the players Wednesday and they started to work through it on the field during Wednesday morning's walkthrough.

One area fans don't get to see is the way Lions quarterback Jared Goff processes and retains information. Campbell talked Wednesday about how that's allowed them to get ahead of the game earlier in the week from a preparation standpoint.

"He's playing at a high level," Campbell said of Goff. "I mean, the amount of – simply in this walkthrough, this is the first taste of this game plan going into Philly. It's just unbelievable, what he's able to grasp, retain, get us into the right play, and we literally just gave it to him. You don't even have time to digest it. You're running onto the field and now you're going through it, you're walking through it. That's one of his superpowers."

Goff is playing some of the best football of his career this season in Year 10. Heading into Detroit's monster NFC matchup in Philadelphia Sunday, Goff ranks first in completion percentage (74.0), second in passing touchdowns (20), second in passer rating (117.7) and fifth in yards per attempt (8.19).

"He plays with the gray matter, and he's got the ability to put it on the spot in tight coverage," Campbell said. "I think that's rare to have both. But he knows what helps him and what makes him who he is. He's got to be able to rely on that.

"He's not a guy who's going to be able to – he's not (Ravens QB) Lamar Jackson. So, he leans on what his abilities and skills are. He's playing at a high level."

PREPARING FOR TUSH PUSH

Campbell and the Lions voted in favor of keeping Philadelphia's version of the tush push in the game. Campbell respects the fact that the Eagles have found a niche they are good at and have perfected the play better than anyone else in the NFL.

Campbell expects his defense will face the play at some point Sunday and it will be up to him, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and the rest of the defensive coaches to figure out a good plan to try and stop it.

More than anything, Campbell is a purest of the game and said if they take out the tush push, what's next?

"You take something else out of the game, then we're taking the next thing out of the game, then you're taking another thing out of the game," he said. "And pretty soon, we don't have pads anymore. Pretty soon, you're only playing thirty minutes.

"I don't want to take it out of the game. It's something, a team's got a niche, they found something, they're good at it, and it's for everybody else to stop, and it's unique and it's physical. More than anything, I just don't want to take anything else out of the game. I just want to leave the game alone. That's me."

HASSANEIN BACK

On Monday, the team announced they signed rookie edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein to their practice squad.

Hassanein was selected by the Lions in the sixth round of this year's NFL Draft. We saw his development and growing comfort level in Sheppard's defense through training camp and the preseason.

Unfortunately, Hassanein suffered a pectoral injury right before roster cuts and the Lions released him with an injury settlement. That meant Hassanein would have to sit out the specified time agreed to in the settlement plus three weeks before he could re-sign with the Lions.

He and the Lions will now get back to work continuing his development to see if he can get to a point where they feel he can help this team down the stretch.

EXTRA POINTS

• Running back Jahmyr Gibbs was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 143 yards.
• Philadelphia ranks second in the NFL in home winning percentage (.829) since 2022 (including playoffs) with a 29-6 mark at Lincoln Financial Field. Only Buffalo (.833) is better. The Eagles are 13-1 over their last 14 contests at home.
• The Lions are the first team in NFL history to produce at least 21 passing touchdowns, 13 rushing touchdowns and six or fewer turnovers through a team's first nine games.