In a season where the Detroit Lions and their tight ends failed to make any impression whatsoever on the
gridiron
Barry
Sanders Jersey , Luke Willson somehow became the least noticeable of the
lot. The Lions, of course, annihilated their tight end corps during the last
offseason, dumping Eric Ebron so he could go on to have a record-setting year in
Indianapolis, and Darren Fells so he could do whatever he did this year. In
their place remained Michael Roberts, who was quickly glued together with free
agents Levine Toilolo and Luke Willson.Did it work? Reader, I assure you it did
not.General manager Bob Quinn has admitted by now that the position was the
scraps of a failed run to procure talent. It’s well expected that we’ll see a
massive overhaul at the position before the 2019 season starts, barring another
strikeout by Quinn in this area.Expectations before 2018With the tight end
position needing to rebuild overnight, Willson, signed by the team for $2.5
million, was expected to provide at least a serviceable weapon for Matthew
Stafford. Willson himself said he didn’t want to be pigeonholed into a given
role, and it would seem the Lions agreed; they needed Willson to play a
jack-of-all-trades role at tight end.However, given the lack of options
available for Detroit, it would be hard to fault one for believing Willson may
have become the starting option at tight end. He had starter
experience
Michael
Roberts Jersey , having filled in for Zach Miller early in his career, and
reports out of training camp indicated that Willson was in a comfortable
position to lead the pack.Actual role in 20182018 stats: 14 games (8 starts): 13
receptions, 87 yards (no touchdowns)PFF Grade: 55.3 (ranked 58th)Whatever
Willson is capable of as an offensive weapon, however modest, 2018 did not prove
to be a year where this potential was tapped. Willson averaged only 6.2
receiving yards per game, the lowest of his career (he averaged 9.6 in 2017 and
double-digit yards every season prior). He failed to break 100 yards for the
season and offered no touchdowns, both career firsts.Part of his disappointing
2018 season may be a lack of use. Willson was rarely targeted, with only two
games where he was targeted more than twice. In the second half of the year,
prior to Willson’s brain injury, the Lions selected Roberts and Toilolo more for
passing options.In blocking, Willson saw little use. He was on the field on just
31 snaps in a pass blocking role, compared to 455 blocking snaps for
Toilolo.Outlook for 2019Contract status: Unrestricted free agentUsage seems to
indicate the Lions are not likely to bring Willson back for 2019. Quinn’s
statements about striking out on tight end free agents seems to also indicate
that Willson was not a top option for the team, and performance and use may
reinforce that.Of the existing tight ends, whatever use Willson may have served
was upended by Toilolo
and
Taylor Decker
Jersey , to a lesser extent, Roberts. He became the odd-man-out, never
quite filling the yawning abyss the Lions left for themselves at the
position.It’s hard to envision Willson coming back given abysmal use by the
coaching staff, but the possibility remains he could be looked into for a backup
role, or leaned on for another contract if the Lions strike out on free agent
signings again. Willson’s future in Detroit is further complicated by the
addition of new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, who knows what Willson is
capable and how to use him.Whether Willson would want to take such a paycut or
accept this reduced role—particularly at age 29—remains to be seen. The Lions
jumped out to a 24-0 lead over the Packers today, turning in a solid performance
and getting a big NFC North win over the Packers. But the story of the game was
Mason Crosby.Crosby, the Packers’ longtime kicker, had the worst game of his
career — and one of the worst games for any kicker in NFL history.The Packers
sent Crosby out to attempt four field goals, and he missed all four of them.
They also tried to kick one extra point, and Crosby missed that one as well. He
would have been the first kicker in NFL history to try at least four field goals
and one extra point in a game, and miss all of them, except that the Packers
sent him out to kick one more field goal with two seconds left, and he made it.
That provided the final points of the Lions’ 31-23 win.Although Crosby was
having a good season until
today
A’Shawn
Robinson Jersey , his performance raises the question of whether the
Packers will replace him. A game like that makes it hard for a team to have any
faith in its kicker.The Packers got a solid 70 yards on 12 carries from rookie
running back Kerryon Johnson, although he left the game with a late injury.
LeGarrette Blount wasn’t as effective but did have two one-yard touchdown
runs.Matthew Stafford‘s numbers — 14-of-26, 183 yards, two touchdowns and no
interceptions — were nothing special, although Stafford did have two long
completions called back by penalties, and another long pass dropped in the end
zone.For the Packers, Aaron Rodgers played very well, but he kept getting the
Packers into field goal range only to have Crosby miss. Amazingly, the Packers
never punted all game — the first team this year to go a full game without
punting, and the first team in three years to lose a game in which they didn’t
punt.The result drops the Packers to 2-2-1, while the Lions are at 2-3. They’re
both looking up at the Bears in the NFC North, but the Lions have to feel good
about getting a division win — and the Packers have to feel bad about their
kicking situation.
