Getty Jared Goff during a 2022 game against Chicago.
It’s been a wild season for the Detroit Lions in terms of injuries, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Once again, the team isn’t getting consistent results from multiple injured players.
No spot has been more bitten by the injury bug than wide receiver. Detroit has lost DJ Chark, and was forced to go without Amon-Ra St. Brown for stretches. The Lions haven’t had access to Jameson Williams yet, though that is coming soon. Add it up and some underrated names have had to make plays.
According to Jared Goff, though, that’s just the nature of the game for the Lions, and something that the team expects. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, November 16, Goff was asked about his team’s struggles, and as he said, it’s a fact of life players will step up.
“Yeah, guys step up. I think I might have mentioned it last week, but I’m kind of used to that at this point, you know? We’ve had a lot of guys kind of in and out of the lineup and you kind of stop asking who’s up this week. You just kind of get used to whoever’s going to be in there will be ready and fill in,” he said. “You saw Tom Kennedy last week do a good job making a big play there at the end, so we have confidence in those guys. To be honest, whatever happens happens. I’m somewhat used to there being kind of a shuffled deck.”
Back in 2021, the Lions had players in and out on offense. That helped Goff gain confidence in not only the players, but his own response for those times on the field.
“Last year we had those moments where we had to have those guys fill in and again, I’ve had a lot of reps with those guys so there’s some continuity there,” Goff said.
With that experience comes faith, and if the Lions have to rely on their underrated weapons more, Goff will be right there to continue to help the team figure things out in the meantime.
Don’t count on the Detroit offense taking many steps back as a result of this in the future. Goff is going to ensure that remains the case.
Kennedy Stepped up Huge for Lions
Perhaps the best example of a guy sticking with it and getting the job done is Kennedy, who made the play of the week.
On third down late in the fourth quarter, the Lions hit a big play with Kennedy, who shook free and managed to wiggle for 44 yards and get near the red zone. Eventually, the Lions would pay the play off with the game-winning score.
With the game on the line, Kennedy stepped up and managed to make a major play for Detroit:
Coming through training camp, Kennedy was making all the big plays for the Lions, and he managed to make his way back to the team and finally got to show his stuff. For this reason, it was great to see the Lions cash in his big play for a win.
Whether Kennedy gets to stay now in the future or not is another story, but he might deserve it in a big way after this big play to clinch a big win for the Lions.
Underrated Lions Wideouts Playing Huge Role
Not only are guys like Kennedy stepping up at the right time, names like Reynolds and Kalif Raymond have played a huge role when healthy.
Reynolds has been dinged-up for the better part of the second half of the season, but Raymond has stepped up with the big plays for the Lions in his absence. Additionally, Detroit has managed to get some pass catching from other sources like tight end, where James Mitchell, Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra all have scores the last two weeks.
Moreover, Detroit’s running backs have caught passes, with D’Andre Swift remaining dangerous as a receiving threat, and Justin Jackson showing what he can do as well.
While the Lions have remained dinged up and decimated, the team hasn’t much cared one bit given the production they have squeezed out of other spots on the roster. It’s been huge for the Lions to get this type of production relative to the big names who have been in and out most of the year.
Why has the team been successful? Goff, their leader, isn’t fazed a bit by new faces. That could allow the Lions to continue to have success down the stretch, even if the names change.