ALLEN PARK >> If DeAndre Levy can’t play on Sunday, the other linebackers are ready to step up.
Levy, who played just 17 snaps in the 2015 season, missed his third straight practice on Friday with a quad injury.
The weakside linebacker was listed as doubtful on Friday’s injury report for Sunday’s home opener against the Tennessee Titans.
On Wednesday defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said he expected Levy to play on Sunday.
Caldwell would not address the issue.
Middle linebacker Tahir Whitehead would not speculate on whether Levy will be ready on Sunday.
“He’s supportive, he’s a hard worker. I’m not worried about Levy no frustration there, not along those lines,” Whitehead said.
He won’t let himself get caught up in what ifs.
“You’ve just got to do your job, can’t focus on anything else. At the end of the day you just lock in, focus on your job – Tahir Whitehead how I’m going to help my team win. And for me that’s relaying the call to the defense, getting myself lined up, getting hte d lined up and going out there and executing,” said Whitehead who led the Lions with 10 tackles.
Rookie Antwione Williams, who played one defensive snap and 22 on special teams last week, could step in on the weakside for Levy. Or Kyle Van Noy could move from strongside to weakside and have Williams go in Van Noy’s spot.
He said he would be as prepared as possible just like any week.
“(I’m) prepared for Levy to play but if not I’ll be ready,” Williams said after Friday’s practice. “Levy is doing everything he can to get back, so expecting to see him on Sunday.”
Williams, like all the linebackers, has studied all three positions.
“I feel I’m well versed in a lot of stuff,” Williams said. “The thing with moving around you can see a lot of things other people didn’t get to see. I feel like I’ll be prepared and ready.”
Derrick Morgan out
Linebacker Derrick Morgan, who started last week in the loss to the Vikings, is out for The Titans with a hamstring injury.
This does not affect the Lions’ game-planning.
“From our vantage point it doesn’t matter who’s going out there, whoever it is can play,” Caldwell said. “We better be able to block them from a run game standpoint, and we better be able to pass protect. He’s a guy that certainly has some ability, but I think anybody (who will) line up there is going to have ability to play, so we’d better get ourselves ready.”
Wide receiver Kendall Wright (hamstring) is also out for the Titans. He was inactive in Week 1.
I-75 closed
I you usually travel on I-75 between Crook and M-59 take a different route Sunday on the way to Ford Field. That stretch will be closed from 11 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. on Monday.
This and that
Defensive end Ziggy Ansah (shoulder), tight end Cole Wick (shoulder) and cornerback Adairius Barnes (ankle) are listed as questionable for Sunday. Ansah had a full practice on Friday after two day being limited. Wick and Barnes were limited on Friday. … Riley Reiff, Haloti Ngata and Sam Martin will be captains on Sunday. … Titans Hall of Fame defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau was a Hall of Fame linebacker for the Lions from 1959 to 1972. … Titans coach Mike Mularkey’s son, Patrick Mularkey, is the pro scouting coordinator for the Lions.
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