Finally, some good news for the Detroit Lions.
Running back Kevin Smith practiced for the second straight day on Friday and sounds optimistic he'll return from an ankle injury against the New Orleans Saints.
“I think (Thursday) was the day that I did a pretty good workload,” Smith told the team's official website. “I had a lot of reps yesterday and wasn’t sore after that. I mean it was sore but not how you would expect after working out.
“It’s progressing well. I’m pretty excited.”
Smith sat out most of the loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day because of the injury after gaining 201 total yards and scoring three touchdowns the previous week against the Carolina Panthers.
The Lions, however, will likely be without two starters in the defensive secondary against the Saints. Safety Louis Delmas (knee) and cornerback Chris Houston (knee) were listed as doubtful Friday after missing their third consecutive days of practice. A third defensive back -- corner Brandon McDonald (thigh) -- was listed as questionable.
For a complete look at all injuries around the league, go to NFL.com's injury page.