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Lions tailback Reggie Bush has battled an ankle injury throughout this season. It's possible he'll be shut down until he's fully healthy. (Melanie Maxwell | MLive.com)

ALLEN PARK -- Calvin Johnson initially was allowed to try to play through his ankle injury. That didn't work out very well.

He was totally irrevelant one week, re-injured the ankle the next week and was eventually shut down until fully healthy.

Now the Detroit Lions could give Reggie Bush the same treatment.

"Certainly there's that possibility," coach Jim Caldwell said.

Bush is off to a disappointing start this season, with just 191 yards and one touchdown. He had 623 yards at this point last season.

He had this many yards by Week 2 in 2012.

In fact, this is Bush's worst start to a season since he missed eight of the first 10 games in 2010, when he was still with the Saints. But his problems are not entirely performance-related.

Bush has battled reoccurring ankle injuries throughout the year. He's missed two of the past four games due to the injury, been limited in the second half of at least two others and has practiced intermittently.

That includes last Sunday against Miami, when Bush was back after taking a game off, but carried the ball only four times for 20 yards due to another aggravation of the ankle.

"I think he's (in) a bit of a tough stretch, but I do think he probably knows his body as well as anyone, and he felt he was really ready to go," Caldwell said. "Just got hit the right way. This game is kind of odd. He was feeling good, running well, and just got caught the right way, and in the wrong position, and he had to take a few steps back."

Bush did not practice Wednesday, and the team has not made a decision whether he'll return Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Joique Bell and Theo Riddick are expected to carry the load if Bush can't go.

Caldwell did say he does not expect the ankle to linger for the rest of the season.

"I don't anticipate that being the case with him," Caldwell said. "He'll be able to help us here at some point in time. Could be this weekend."

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