The Detroit Lions are staring down a massive road matchup on Sunday Night Football, and they’ll do it without one of their most important offensive weapons. Sam LaPorta, who didn’t appear injured during Week 10, hasn’t practiced once this week. Now he’s officially out, and the Lions have to shuffle their tight end room on the fly against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles.
So let’s talk about what this actually looks like, and why the Lions still feel confident.
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Brock Wright Steps Into TE1
With LaPorta sidelined, Brock Wright becomes the next man up, and Dan Campbell couldn’t have sounded more comfortable handing him the keys.
“Brock’s a guy we don’t talk a lot about, but he’s the jack of all trades,” Campbell said this week. “He does everything for us, pass protect, run block, he can run some routes, he plays special teams. He’s one of the most dependable players we have on this team.”
Campbell didn’t stop there.
“At the end of the day, what you really need in the tight end position is versatility and smarts, and he’s got both of those, and he’s tough. So he checks a lot of boxes of a well-rounded tight end, and so that is always going to make me feel a lot better. Offensively feel a lot better.”
Wright missed Wednesday’s practice but has been back on the field the last two days, which puts him on track to start.
And honestly, if there’s one guy Campbell trusts to play through chaos, it’s Brock Wright.
Ross Dwelley Becomes TE2
With Wright jumping into the starting role, veteran Ross Dwelley moves into TE2 duties.
Dwelley hasn’t been super active in Detroit’s passing game this season, but he’s a reliable blocker with 108 career games under his belt and nearly a decade of NFL experience. He’s used to being the “steady guy,” which is exactly what the Lions need while LaPorta sits.
Lions Could Elevate a TE3
If the Lions want a third active tight end, and against the Eagles’ defensive front, they probably will, they’ll turn to the practice squad.
The likely options:
Zach Horton, rookie
Anthony Firkser, who rejoined Detroit earlier this week
Both know the system, but Firkser’s veteran experience might give him the edge.
Bottom Line
The Lions aren’t going to replace Sam LaPorta with one player, but they can piece together a tight end rotation that fits what they want to do offensively. Brock Wright gives them versatility, Ross Dwelley provides stability, and there’s a good chance one more tight end joins the mix.
Is it ideal? No. But the Lions have been built on depth and adaptability, and this is another test of that philosophy as they head into Philadelphia.