A stellar evening quickly went downhill for the Detroit Lions.
Up 34-6 on the road against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6, Lions star defender Aidan Hutchinson was carted off with what appeared to be a severe leg injury, with Detroit ruling him out almost immediately after.
After the game, the Lions said Hutchinson was going in for immediate surgery on what was called a broken tibia.
Early in the third quarter, Hutchinson recorded his first sack of the game on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, but appeared to have his left leg buckle awkwardly in the process.
Players from both teams were visibly distraught following the moment, coming up to show Hutchinson support as he was carted off.
Detroit went on to win 47-9, handing the Cowboys one of their worst ever losses in franchise history on the day of Jerry Jones' 82nd birthday.
NFL
Hutchinson, 24, entered the game with a league-leading 6.5 sacks on the season four games in, with Detroit coming off a bye week. He was the No. 2 overall pick in 2022 by Detroit.
The Michigan product made the 2023 Pro Bowl after recording a career-high 11.5 sacks, and was key to the Lions' ascension in the NFC under head coach Dan Campbell.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Detroit, expected to contend again this season, has more blockbuster games left on its schedule, including the Houston Texans (Week 10), Buffalo Bills (Week 15) and San Francisco 49ers (Week 17) in an NFC Championship Game rematch, among others.
