ALLEN PARK – The Detroit Lions’ recent spate of injuries has left a team with Super Bowl aspirations struggling to fill several key holes, particularly in the secondary.

During Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, starting cornerback Carlton Davis III left the game with a jaw injury and was evaluated for a concussion.

Reports surfaced Monday that Davis will miss the next six weeks with a broken jaw and may return to the playoffs if the Lions have a strong postseason run.

However, when Lions head coach Dan Campbell spoke to reporters about Davis’ status hours after the news broke, he didn’t sound as optimistic about the veteran cornerback’s return.

“Yeah, I’m not sure yet,” Campbell said. “I’m not sure how long this will take. All I know is I don’t see it happening in the immediate future.”

With Davis sidelined for an extended period of time and backup cornerback Khalil Dorsey suffering a season-ending ankle injury on Sunday, the Lions are exploring options to revamp their secondary.

Fifth-year player Kindle Vildor, often remembered for a costly mistake in last season’s NFC title game, is expected to take on a larger role. Despite playing inconsistently in spot duty this season, Vildor delivered a solid performance against the Bills. In 49 snaps, he allowed just one reception for seven yards.

In addition to Vildor, the Lions have players like Brian Branch, Amik Robertson, Emmanuel Moseley and Ifeatu Melifonwu, who is expected to make his season debut soon, to fill the void left by Davis.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s something we’re going to go through,” Campbell said. “(Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) and I talked about it a little earlier today and then we’ll discuss it further. But who do we fill these spots with, who offers us the best chance of competing?

“Certainly E-man is someone we have in the squad. You see him. We already have Vildor who helped us and finished the game. You still have (Terrion Arnold) and you’re right, Branch – he’s someone we need to talk about. What do we do with Branch? Do we keep him where he is? Do we move him?

“We have Amik. Will Amik stay inside? Is he going outside? Is (Ifeatu Melifonwu) starting his watch this week? Perhaps. Potentially. We just have to see it. And that’s why we need to practice a little bit to see where some of these guys are at who haven’t practiced in a while. So, we’ll see. We have options and we’ll find the best combination of guys and go from there.”

Melifonwu, a former Syracuse prospect, has suffered setbacks this season. After missing the first three games, he was placed on injured reserve in Week 4 due to an ankle injury. Although he returned to practice in mid-November, he was placed back on IR after suffering another injury. It can be activated this week.

Campbell said they would monitor Melifonwu during practice to assess his physical fitness but expressed uncertainty about his availability for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

The Lions head coach also left open the possibility of using Melifonwu in multiple roles, including safety and linebacker.

“That’s hard to say. I mean, he could, depending on whether it’s base downs or third downs, is there a place, a role? I wouldn’t close it,” Campbell said. “I think wherever we feel he can help, we’re open to that.”

One player the Lions aren’t counting on yet is rookie cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. The rookie was sidelined with a hamstring injury and Campbell didn’t seem confident about his return.

“I don’t think he’s ready. Not yet. He’s close, but not yet,” Campbell said.

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