Previewing the Detroit Lions’ next opponent: Are the Raiders a playoff contender?

With his appearance Thursday, it looks like Johnson should be available for Sunday’s game against the Raiders at Ford Field (1 p.m., FOX).

During a tumultuous stretch that lasted almost a month, they lost two straight games, fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and parted ways with team president Tom Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew.

Also on this week’s episode, Bleacher Report NFL columnist Mike Freeman discusses the rash of major injuries in football this season – and how fantasy football may be changing the way fans view NFL players and the injury risks they face (that starts at 10:30). In addition, the organization also got rid of offensive line coaches Jeremiah Washburn and Terry Heffernan following the Lions 28-19 home loss to the Vikings.

So, for now, the Lions are sticking with Bell as their starting running back, even though he gained 2 or fewer yards on 11 of his 14 carries against Green Bay, and even though he’s averaging just 2.6 yards per carry for the season.

Since then, Detroit has gone 1-1 with the bye week sandwiched in between.

The Raiders have been one of best offenses in the league this season. There are Wild Card threats in both the North and South divisions and, hey, the Lions already have a victory over the Bears and Packers and still have games vs. the Saints, Rams, and 49ers, all of who are underachieving as well. Defensively, the Raiders yield 293.2 yards in passing and 115.3 yards in rushing. In Week 10, Carr threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions after throwing for four TDs consecutively in Weeks 8 and 9.

Yesterday, Lions cornerback Nevin Lawson and safety Don Carey missed practice because of injuries as did defensive tackle Gabe Wright and receiver Calvin Johnson.

The Detroit Lions look to string together their first back-to-back wins this week, hosting the Oakland Raiders. He’s got to continue growing in all facets of the game. The over/under is 48.5 points. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family.