Before their historic 18–16 victory at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday, the Detroit Lions lost cornerback Rashean Mathis for the remainder of the season due to a concussion.
Mathis sustained the injury in Week 7's 28–19 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and suffered concussion symptoms for the next two weeks before it was diagnosed, and he was placed on the injured reserve (IR).
Before being placed on the IR, Mathis was checked and went through the National Football League's (NFL) concussion protocol program.
The 35-year-old veteran played in seven games this 2015 season, his third year with the Lions, and has 31 tackles with one interception.
Mathis joined the Lions in 2013 as a free agent, after 10 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and during the off-season was signed to a two-year deal worth $3.5 million, according to Sports Illustrated.
Replacing Mathis during games is Nevin Lawson who is playing in his second season in the league, while cornerback Crezdon Butler was signed by the Lions to take his spot in the 53-man roster.
Despite Mathis' absence, the Lions had a historical win last Sunday when they defeated the Packers at Lambeau Field.
Before the recent victory, the last time Detroit managed a win over Green Bay at Lambeau Field was in 1991.
Now, the Lions ended a losing streak edging the Packers and also being able to withstand a comeback attempt from the hosts during the game.
Unfortunately, despite the victory, the Lions are still far from reaching the playoffs with a 2–7 record, which ranks them last in the National Football Conference (NFC) North.
Leading in the division are the Minnesota Vikings who are with a 7–2 record, followed by the Green Bay Packers at 6-3, Chicago Bears at 4–5, and then the Lions.
The Lions finished last season with an 11–5 record but lost in the Wild Card Playoffs against the Dallas Cowboys.
