Getty Brock Wright celebrates a touchdown with Jared Goff in 2022.
The Detroit Lions needed a miracle to outlast the New York Jets, and thanks to one brilliant play call, they managed to get it late in the game.
After being dominated most of the day on defense to the tune of just 359 yards, the high-flying Detroit offense had to find a way to get into the end zone to stay alive in the playoff race.
Tight end Brock Wright was the recipient of the gutsy fourth-and-one call for a 51 yard score. Here’a a look at Wright making the play of a lifetime for the Lions:
Made the Wright play on 4th down!
#DETvsNYJ | 📺 CBS
Detroit would go on to hang on when the Jets missed a long 58 yard field goal with a chance to tie the game and send it to overtime with one second remaining on the clock.
All told, the Lions would never have been in the position they were to win without Wright. It was a huge play for the young player, and it will ensure he is in the annals of Detroit history if the Lions find a way to keep winning.
It was an incredible exchange for fans, who enjoyed every second of the big moment as it was playing out. It may have been even more incredible for Wright given what it represented in the game.
Wright Redeemed Himself After Tough Drop
Why was this play so notable? Not only did it help the Lions win the game, but earlier in the series, Wright had made a costly drop which set the Detroit offense back in a big way.
With wide open space in front of him, Wright dropped a pass on first down that would have gone for a similarly big gain. It was a tough play for Wright and the Lions to stomach, but he managed to find a way to redeem himself in the moment.
Fans were watching how the game played out, and as former Detroit media personality Justin Rose pointed out, the catch and run from Wright allowed the Lions to come full-circle.
You wanna talk about redemption? Holy hell. Brock Wright gets it done. What a play.
“You wanna talk about redemption? Holy hell. Brock Wright gets it done. What a play,” Rose tweeted as the game played out.
This speaks to Wright’s mental toughness. To be able to survive a drop and turn out a major score plays later shows he is a great player to build around for the future.
Wright’s Career Stats & Highlights
To say that a touchdown to Wright is surprising would be an understatement given he isn’t always the most productive tight end in terms of catches.
The rookie tight end was not on most scouting reports last year considering he was more of a blocker in college at Notre Dame with 78 yards and only one touchdown to his credit statistically in college. He showed some impressive hands with the nice grab on the toss from Jared Goff against Minnesota in 2021, and would finish with 117 yards and two touchdowns last year.
Here’s a look at the score:
In the future, it has always seemed Wright could be a part of more big plays, especially if his coaches have anything to say about his involvement around the goal line. With T.J. Hockenson gone, Wright has stepped up big, and this play is simply the next big one he has turned in early in his career.
With passes like this to Wright, the Lions may not be missing Hockenson at all. With Shane Zylstra, James Mitchell and Wright all catching touchdowns in the last few months, the Lions continue to produce even without their best player at the position gone.
Wright just turned in the most significant play of his young career.