6 thoughts to end the week: Time to TeSlaa to step up, lack of opponent DPIs, NFC playoff picture and another check-in on Decker's future
Allen Park — Here are six thoughts to end the week as the Detroit Lions prepare to play the New York Giants this Sunday.
TeSlaa’s time to shine
Going back to Monday’s “Three and Out” column, I’m doubling down on the sentiment expressed there: Tight end Sam LaPorta borders on being an indispensable talent.
That’s not to say the Lions can’t move the ball or win without him, but there isn’t anything close to a one-for-one replacement on the roster. LaPorta was playing more than 90% of the offensive snaps, was the team’s second-leading receiver, and had been instrumental in the run game with his notable improvements as a blocker.
Sure, Brock Wright can do more, but he was already doing a lot, playing more than 50% of snaps. Bumping that up another dozen reps isn’t going to solve many, if any, of the problems created by LaPorta’s absence, including his critical role on third down, whether that was getting separation as a reliable outlet for quarterback Jared Goff or drawing a double-team to free up a teammate.
Detroit’s solution has to be breaking LaPorta’s role into bite-sized pieces and divvying them out across the roster, all while avoiding schematic predictability with those personnel decisions. Easier said than done, given how much the LaPorta-sized void was felt last week against the Eagles.
After thinking about it a little bit more after last Sunday’s loss, if there’s one player who needs to step up more than others on the offense, it’s rookie Isaac TeSlaa. After a relatively quiet start to his career — sans a couple of incredible one-handed catches early in the season — there’s an opportunity to step up in a number of offensive facets, including third down, in the red zone, and as a run blocker.
I’m as guilty as anyone in forgetting that TeSlaa needed some extra development, given his college path and limited usage at Arkansas. Like others, I got caught up in the excitement of his performance during the preseason, forgetting that it was a limited, vanilla playbook being executed against backups.