The Detroit Lions' offensive inconsistency has been a point of constant discussion not only for Lions fans and pundits but league-wide. Things reached a point where offensive coordinator John Morton was not only relieved of his duties calling plays by head coach Dan Campbell, but the team is speculated to consider making a change at the end of the season. Despite the head coach taking over playcalling, the struggles have remained with the passing attack, clearly hurting without the former offensive coordinator and current Chicago Bears head coach, Ben Johnson.
Detroit's offensive attack has grown stale and predictable, and never was that clearer than in Thanksgiving Day's 31-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Adding to this was the fact that receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was lost early in the game, and the Lions simply had no targets outside of Jameson Williams that had the trust of Campbell and quarterback Jared Goff.
This is where it becomes obvious that talented rookie Isaac TeSlaa must be far more involved. TeSlaa has been a consistent source of interest among fans based on his potential, but has only caught six balls this season for 100 yards and 3 touchdowns. This makes it clear that the rookie simply isn't getting his deserved role.
Lions Must Game Plan Around Standout Rookie Isaac TeSlaa Amid St. Brown Injury Concerns
TeSlaa is a walking mismatch at 6'4 and 214 pounds. The rookie has the frame and skill to be used far more often. Opting to put TeSlaa in a more involved role goes a long way in fixing your offensive concerns. Focus on using the rookie as a possession receiver and allow Williams to be at his best, stretching the field and attempting to take the top off the defense.
For the Lions, you're avoiding being stale and predictable by giving the rookie a larger role and providing Goff a chance to find a new trusted target. In truth, this is a move that should've been made regardless of the St. Brown injury, as questions persist regarding how the Lions spread the ball and the lack of depth at the receiver position.
TeSlaa remains an exciting prospect who is just scratching the surface of what he could become in Campbell's offense. With injury concerns mounting and frustrations within the offense, there isn't a valid reason not to give the rookie a higher volume of snaps and hope that production follows.
At worst, you've given a valuable depth piece a chance to fill a bigger role and have an answer that he isn't going ot become a reliable weapon. The more likely way for this scenario to play out is TeSlaa taking advantage of the chance and working his way into becoming a key contributor for Detroit.