Getty Lions quarterback Jared Goff and wideout Quintez Cephus celebrate a touchdown.
The Detroit Lions have lost their top veteran wideout to injury after Tyrell Williams was placed on injured reserve on Thursday, September 23, so where does the team look for production now?
Answering that question could be as simple as watching for Quintez Cephus to keep running down the field. Cephus has come on in the first few weeks of the season, and his presence has been tough for quarterback Jared Goff to ignore on the field.
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It looks as if Goff and Cephus are forming a bit of chemistry early on in the season, and that’s good news for a Detroit offense which needs a bit of a boost considering a major injury loss at the position to Williams.
Speaking with the media on Wednesday, September 22, Goff explained what he likes most about Cephus, and as he said, he’s simply a gifted player that has found a knack for doing the right things even in spite of some of his rumored limitations.
“He plays a lot faster than he may have ran at the combine, whatever he ran. He plays fast. He can run down the field, he can stretch the field a little bit,” Goff explained. “The number one thing from me I’ve enjoyed playing with him has been his physicality. The ability to make plays on the ball when it’s not picture perfect clean. You saw the other night that ball he almost pulled down, we see that all the time in practice. Being able to rely on him in one-on-one situations and give him a chance in certain areas has been fun for me.”
Perhaps the biggest knock on Cephus out of college was his speed, or lack thereof. The Lions, though, see a different side of Cehpus where he simply is driven to make the most out of any opportunity he gets on the field. For that reason, Goff sees Cehpus as a player who has even brighter days ahead.
“I think he’s a tremendously talented player. Some guys, it just kind of comes natural to them playing the position. He’s just a natural receiver and understands leverages and understands people,” Goff said. “He’s still young and still learning so much but I think his progression has been great. The best thing about him is he’s his hardest critic. After that game he’s coming back with a bunch of things he wants to work on and it’s a lot of fun to work with a guy like that.”
Goff and Cephus might only get a shot to grow their connection even more in the coming weeks, which should be downright intriguing for fans to monitor.
Goff Feels Lions Offense Coming Along
Thus far, the Detroit offense has looked decent running the football and throwing the pass. That’s been true even as the team has struggled with overall consistency early on. Goff himself might not be satisfied with the team’s performance or record, but even he is able to cut through some of the fat to noice that the team has picked it up a bit in terms of the offense as things become familiar.
“I don’t know if we’re very proud about the results so far. We’ve done some good things offensively, have been able to move the ball a little bit and had a lot of yards through the air I guess. I don’t know that speaks to much of the success you’d like to have. I’d rather throw for 200 yards and win games. There’s a million things we’re trying to get better at very day. But I’m starting to settle in a little bit for sure in the pass game, but at the same time, there’s still a bunch of things, look at last week and the week prior that I can get better with,” he said.
Through two games, Goff has put up 584 yards with 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. While Goff is also his harshest critic, reality says that’s pretty good considering he was tasked with installing a brand new offense and making it go. Detroit’s offense from the first half needs to show up more consistently, but as the team continues to jell, that could play out.
Cephus Career Stats and Highlights
In college, Cephus put up a solid 1,496 yards and 9 touchdowns in a run-heavy Wisconsin Badgers offense. He’s a player that has some potential which is obvious given the numbers he put up and his work ethic and body type. So far in the NFL, Cephus has put up 349 yards and 2 touchdowns on 20 career receptions without much run at all. He was a healthy scratch at times last season, but it’s clear those days could be over. Thus far this season, Cephus has 75 yards and 1 score to his credit.
Cephus didn’t have a fast run at the NFL Combine running in the 4.7’s, but improved things during his early pro day with Wisconsin. More than the speed, it’s the ability of Cephus to run good routes and make solid catches which impresses. As a result of that, he could be a solid pro who sticks in the league in time if he is able to take care of his business.
Here’s a look at some top Cephus highlights from his rookie year in the league:
Learning to be a pro is a big part of the craft, so it’s good to see Cephus stepping up and leading by example and carrying over his work from the practice field to the game. It’s managed to get the attention of his quarterback in a big way.
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