The Detroit Lions dropped the season opener 27-13 to the Green Bay Packers in a divisional contest on Sunday afternoon. In the loss, the offense only mustered 246 total yards of offense, leaving fans wanting more from that unit.
Fans were looking for Isaac TeSlaa after he logged just three total snaps in his debut. Despite that, he still reeled in a 13-yard touchdown on his lone target, showcasing what he can do when the ball is thrown his way.
Fans are being left asking for more of TeSlaa, but head coach Dan Campbell said the team will have him on the field more in the coming weeks. Per Lions reporter Tim Twentyman, Campbell expressed that TeSlaa dealing with an illness and missing practice last week played a role in his usage in Week 1.
Isaac TeSlaa Will See the Field More Going Forward per Dan Campbell
The Lions used the 70th overall pick on TeSlaa this past April, and he was an impressive playmaker throughout the summer. Detroit clearly believed in his talents since they shipped Tim Patrick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in late August.
That cleared the way for TeSlaa to get more opportunities, but Week 1 wasn't the place to do so. As he gets healthy and takes the practice field more consistently, the coaching staff will feel more comfortable throwing him out there.
With Detroit beginning the season on the road against a division rival, Kalif Raymord is the player who played the most snaps as the WR3, logging 44 plays. He didn't do much in those plays, finishing the game with two catches for 19 yards on three targets.
Raymond is better suited as a returner and WR4/5 role. Asking him to be anything more doesn't seem like a reasonable request, which is why TeSlaa will be on the field as this team's WR3 in the coming weeks. He stands at 6-foot-4, along with the speed and ball skills to make some plays downfield.
Scoring a touchdown in just three plays is a glimpse of what the potential could be with him out there more. The Lions have the Chicago Bears next on the docket in Week 2, and could be where fans see TeSlaa's snap count get an uptick.
The Lions know he's the most talented WR on the team behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. And they aren't going to keep him on the sidelines.