The Detroit Lions have been searching in vain for big plays most of the 2020 season, but with some change in the building following the dismissal of Matt Patricia, some new faces have begun to step up in a big way.
Against the Chicago Bears, wideout Quintez Cephus is making his case for the future. Cephus, on a strong throw from Matthew Stafford, hauled in an impressive touchdown in the second quarter. It was the rookie’s first career touchdown catch and a very impressive one at that considering degree of difficulty.
Here’s a look at the play:
Go deep indeed, @QoDeep_87‼️
49 yards from Stafford to Cephus for the rook’s first career TD.
Cephus showed some amazing veteran savvy on the play, giving the defensive back a little nudge and also making the catch falling down into the end zone. It was also a brilliant throw by Matthew Stafford, and a connection that will likely not soon be forgotten for Cephus in his first season in the league.
Quintez Cephus Gives Lions Wideout Depth
The Lions made the move to release Marvin Hall this week, and one cannot help but wonder if the decision was made with Cephus in mind. The rookie has taken some time to come on, but late in the season, it would be huge to see him taking some strides forward. Hall used to get loose on the same type of routes that Cephus scored on, so it will be interesting to see if he can continue to keep the momentum going for a needy group.
Other than Cephus, the Lions have names like Mohamed Sanu, Danny Amendola and Marvin Jones on the roster. It’s likely most of that group may not be back in 2021, so Cephus putting his best foot forward would be huge for the team moving forward. He could make a case for inclusion in the game plan both now and next season considering the team’s roster situation at the position.
Quintez Cephus Stats
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 this season, Cephus had put up 174 yards on and only 1 career touchdown without much run at all in the offense. He has been a healthy scratch at times, but could prove a lot with a good run starting now.
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.
The path to that starts now for Cephus and the Lions, and it will be intriguing to see what he could bring to the mix after this big play and how much confidence he could gain.
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