We are officially at the point where it’s time to worry about\u00a0Detroit Lions\u00a0tight end Sam LaPorta playing in Week 11.<\/p>\n
LaPorta popped up on the injury report on Wednesday with a back issue and did not take part in practice.<\/p>\n
Then, on Thursday, LaPorta was\u00a0once again a non-participant, which puts him in real danger of not playing on Sunday against the\u00a0Philadelphia Eagles.<\/p>\n
We weren’t ready to hit the panic button on Wednesday because one missed practice isn’t a big deal, especially for a top-tier talent and veteran like LaPorta.<\/p>\n
However, we’re now venturing into troubling waters after a second straight “DNP” on Thursday.<\/p>\n
LaPorta isn’t the only injury at tight end the Lions are dealing with, as his backup, Brock Wright, is dealing with a back issue. However, Wright was upgraded to a limited session on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Another troubling sign for LaPorta’s status is the fact that the Lions added another tight end to its practice squad in Anthony Firkser, which could mean Detroit is expecting LaPorta to sit out.<\/p>\n
Along with Firkser and Wright, the Lions have Zach Horton on the practice squad and Ross Dwelley on the 53-man roster.<\/p>\n
Wright is the next man up on the depth chart if LaPorta doesn’t play, and one of Firkser or Horton would be in line for an elevation in that scenario.<\/p>\n
If Wright and LaPorta sit, the Lions could call up both Firkser and Horton to fill in behind Dwelley.<\/p>\n
After the\u00a0Detroit Lions\u00a0opened the season with a Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Detroit quarterback Jared Goff addressed the
“growing pains”\u00a0associated with\u00a0offensive coordinator John Morton\u00a0serving as the replacement for current Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Lions have since won six of eight contests, and Goff tossed three touchdown passes in the club’s 44-22 victory at the Washington Commanders in Week 10. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Campbell suggested Goff is just getting warmed up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I just feel like he\u2019s gotten better every year, that\u2019s me. So yeah, I guess to answer that question, yes, I do,” Campbell responded when asked Wednesday if Goff is playing the best football of his career this fall, per\u00a0Myles Simmons\u00a0of Pro Football Talk. “I think he\u2019s settled into his own to where he just continues to take it another notch and just continues to get better. Process information, the game slows down for him. He\u2019s playing at a high level.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to\u00a0Pro Football Reference,\u00a0Goff began Thursday ranked second in the NFL among qualified players with a 117.7 passer rating, first with a 74 percent completion percentage and second with 20 passing touchdowns for the season. Over the Lions’ first nine games, he tossed only three interceptions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 6-3 Lions next play at the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (7-2) this coming Sunday night. On Wednesday, Campbell praised Goff’s ability to immediately “digest” the game plan and execute during midweek practices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“He plays with the gray matter, and he\u2019s got the ability to put [passes] on the spot in tight coverage,” Campbell added about Goff. “I think that\u2019s rare to have both. But he knows what helps him and what makes him who he is. He\u2019s got to be able to rely on that. He\u2019s not a guy who\u2019s going to be able to \u2014 he\u2019s not Lamar Jackson. So, he leans on what his abilities and skills are. He\u2019s playing at a high level.”<\/p>\n
The Lions may need Goff’s arm to be at its best to leave Lincoln Financial Field with a record of 7-3. As of early Thursday afternoon, ESPN BET had Detroit as a 2.5-point road underdog for the upcoming prime-time matchup.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We are officially at the point where it’s time to worry about\u00a0Detroit Lions\u00a0tight end Sam LaPorta playing in Week 11. LaPorta popped up on the injury report on Wednesday with a back…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-breaking-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t