Detroit Lions fans received some unfortunate news on Saturday as the team announced that third-year tight end Sam LaPorta was placed on injured reserve with a back injury. LaPorta did not practice this week due to said injury, setting the stage for him to be placed on IR.
The Lions didn’t elevate any tight ends from the practice squad for Sunday night’s game, instead opting for two wide receivers in Tom Kennedy and Jackson Meeks.
With LaPorta on injured reserve, it means he’ll miss at least the next four games, which is not ideal for Detroit, given that it will play the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, and Dallas Cowboys. Furthermore, the young tight end is averaging 5.4 targets per game.
Jameson Williams will likely see an uptick in targets sans LaPorta, but this is a great spot for the Lions to also work in rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa, especially if they choose to utilize a lot of 11 personnel, which is three WR sets with a tight end and running back.
Lions Have No Excuses to Not Get Isaac TeSlaa Involved More in the Passing Game
The rookie wideout has gotten off to a slow start this season after making a name for himself in the preseason. TeSlaa has only four receptions (seven targets) for 65 yards and two touchdowns.
TeSlaa has also only played 22% of offensive snaps, which is shocking, given that Tim Patrick, who was the Lions' WR3 last season, played 59% of offensive snaps.
Some Lions fans thought that TeSlaa was going to see an uptick in playing time in last week’s game against the Washington Commanders based on head coach Dan Campbell’s comments in the days leading up to the contest.
However, that did not happen as it was veteran Kalif Raymond (38), who played 18 more snaps than the rookie wide receiver (20).
Raymond took advantage of those snaps, as he had four receptions (four targets) for 49 yards in the blowout win. The veteran will likely continue to factor into the WR3 mix, as the Lions can't count on TEs Brock Wright or Ross Dwelley as pass-catching threats. However, the Lions should make it a priority to get TeSlaa going as soon as possible.
The first step starts on Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, whose CB room leaves much to be desired at CB2, despite having Quinyon Mitchell on the boundary and Cooper DeJean in the slot.
That said, TeSlaa was reportedly added to the Lions’ injury report on Saturday with an oblique and given the questionable tag. The hope is that the former Arkansas wideout can play, which would delight Lions fans.
But in the case that he doesn’t, the rookie wideout will at least have three more opportunities to prove himself against the Giants, Packers, and Cowboys. The matchup against GB will not be easy, but the Giants and Cowboys offer some opportunities for TeSlaa to create explosive plays in the passing game with his 4.43 40-yard dash speed.
Even though the first half of TeSlaa’s rookie season was not ideal, he now has an opportunity to change the narrative and help the Lions’ passing game until LaPorta is healthy enough to return to the field.