Allen Park — Separated in age by four years, brothers Shane and Brandon Zylstra never had the opportunity to share a football field — not at New London-Spicer (Minn.) High School, or in college, where Brandon played at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. and Shane attended Minnesota State.
But finally, at the ages of 29 and 25, the pair were able to realize a childhood dream on Sunday, when both suited up for the Detroit Lions against the Green Bay Packers and took the field for the game’s opening kickoff.
“It’s meant everything,” Shane said the day after the game. “It’s a pretty special feeling. We haven’t been able to do that ever and it’s something we talked about as kids, playing in the yard when we were younger. Never happened in high school and, unfortunately, never happened in college, either. To be on this stage, in the NFL, to play together for the first time is special for the both of us and our families, as well.”
Members of Detroit’s practice squad, both were temporarily elevated for the contest to help with the team’s depth issues at tight end and wide receiver. Shane, the tight end, helped fill the void after the team traded starter T.J. Hockenson earlier in the week, while Brandon, the receiver, restocked the cupboard at receiver with Josh Reynolds sidelined by a back injury.
Both played a role on special teams, while Shane also logged 16 offensive snaps and caught the first touchdown of his career, a 1-yard toss from quarterback Jared Goff in the second quarter that opened the game’s scoring.
“I’ll definitely cherish that moment,” Shane said. “I don’t know if you guys caught it, but the first thing I did was go back to the sideline and actually embrace with Brandon. He was one of the first people I talked to, right off the sideline. So it was a pretty special moment and our (team) photographer got a great picture of it.
“This has been a long time coming,” Shane continued. “I’ve had a pretty unconventional path, to say the least. But he always knew I’d be here. And it’s his belief in me that’s kept me driven and motivated me to get to this spot, so he just said he’s proud and he’s so happy for me.
Injury updates
The Lions didn’t come out of the Packers game unscathed. Safety Kerby Joseph, one of the afternoon’s heroes after snagging two interceptions, exited with a concussion after colliding with teammate Jeff Okudah in the fourth quarter. And starting linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez wasn’t able to finish the contest due to an arm injury.
Joseph was in good spirits after the game, although he was prohibited by league policy from commenting on his condition. He’s officially in concussion protocol, but the team is hopeful he’ll be able to play next week against the Bears. He’ll need to clear the mandated stages to return to action, similar to teammates Amon-Ra St. Brown and Brock Wright in recent weeks.
As for Rodriguez, he’s still being evaluated and coach Dan Campbell is still uncertain whether the issue will sideline the productive rookie for an extended period of time.
“He was able to go back in and do a little bit,” Campbell said, noting Rodriguez returned to the game after initially suffering the injury. “But I know he irritated it. We’ll see where he feels over the next few days.”
Another player who was limited, by design, was running back D’Andre Swift. After logging 33 snaps in his return to the lineup a week earlier, he only saw the field for 10 reps against the Packers. Campbell was encouraged by how Swift handled the workload and the team will likely look to gradually increase it going forward.
“We feel like there wasn’t a setback and we gave him enough plays to where we feel like he could handle it,” Campbel said. “Yet, we could use the things that he does well, and so we’re hopeful we can give him a little bit more this week.”
Swift finished the day with three receptions for 40 yards and two carries for another 10 yards.
Veteran replacement
With Kerby exiting in the fourth quarter, the Lions turned to veteran C.J. Moore to fill in at safety down the stretch. Despite re-signing with the Lions just two weeks ago, Moore delivered, breaking up a pass on the Packers’ final possession that helped seal the victory.
The four-year veteran, who appeared in 45 games for the Lions over the past three years, had been released ahead of this season after suffering an offseason injury.
“That was hard for us at the end of camp to do what we felt like we had to do just for the roster,” Campbell said about cutting Moore. “We didn’t want to lose him, but we felt like we had to do it at that moment. And so, we — (general manager) Brad (Holmes) and I — had our eye on C.J. the whole time. We knew we had to get through the injury-settlement period, and then when we had the chance to get him back, (we did).
“He’s a pivotal piece to our special teams, first off,” Campbell said. “But he also understands the defense; he’s been a part of it. He’s a guy that it means a lot to him, he cares, he’s a professional and guys love him, man. He’s an energy guy.”
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers