Allen Park — When the Detroit Lions drafted Sam LaPorta in April, it was understood what kind of passing-game weapon the team was getting, after he averaged 56 catches for 664 yards in his final two years at the University of Iowa. It’s also fair to say less was expected of the rookie tight end as a blocker.
But in his debut for the Lions, LaPorta delivered on both fronts, catching all five of his targets and delivering some eye-catching blocks, including a key one on Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton to help pave the path for David Montgomery’s go-ahead touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
“I thought he did some really good things, and honestly, he blocked well,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “It’s some of the best blocking I’ve seen out of him, even through camp, so that was encouraging.”
Not only did LaPorta get the start in the opener, but he also played significantly more snaps than the team’s other two tight ends. The rookie ended up logging 58 offensive snaps (83%) compared to Brock Wright’s 27 and James Mitchell’s six. And by proving competent in a three-down role, there’s little reason to believe LaPorta’s role will be reduced going forward.
“Hats off to (tight ends) coach (Steve) Heiden, but really LaPorta has come in here and he’s really taken the playbook by storm. He’s all ears,” Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley said. “…Coach Heiden has done a great job with that in the run game and stuff. Shoot, that’s what he did when he played. He had to run-block. He didn’t catch too many balls, let’s be honest. So, he can teach ’em. He did a great job. People who have been around here, even in the past, our tight ends, we ask a lot of them in the pass game, protection, run game. He’s done a great job with it.”
Flying under the radar
With Jameson Williams suspended for the first six games, and Amon-Ra St. Brown commanding extra defensive attention as Detroit’s No. 1 receiving threat, the team was looking for someone to step up to help lift the passing game against the Chiefs. That performance came courtesy of Josh Reynolds, who paced the team with 80 yards and had two critical grabs on the game-winning drive.
In some ways, Reynolds has been an afterthought on the outside, following St. Brown’s emergence and Kalif Raymond‘s steady play, which earned the latter a new, two-year contract this offseason. But Reynolds has also been a consistent contributor since the Lions claimed him off waivers in 2021, helping the team down the stretch that first year before having one of the best seasons of his career, despite battling multiple injuries a year ago.
“He does kind of fly under the radar,” Campbell said. “I kind of tell him all the time, it’s like man, ‘The more you can do, the harder it is on you.’ And he’s a guy who, he’s got a ton of versatility and we ask him to do a lot. He plays the X, he plays the Z; he can play in the heavy packages. We do a lot and so he’s very reliable, mentally and productive-wise. He does a lot, so we needed somebody to step up in that game in that receiver room, and he really did.”
Reynolds played 49 snaps against the Chiefs, the second-most among Detroit’s receivers behind only St. Brown’s 66.
Welcome back
After missing all of last season because of a back injury that required surgery, right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai made a triumphant return to the lineup in the opener, providing big push up front on Montgomery’s game-winning touchdown.
“Good for him to go out there, and each week he’s going to build more and more confidence, too,” Fraley said. “I think coming into training camp, that’s what it was about. OTAs, it was baby steps. From what he did out there and play at the level he did, it was nice to see. It wasn’t perfect. He needs to keep his cool in some of that stuff, but it was good to see him out there. Him and Penei (Sewell) working together is fun to watch. Those are two massive human beings, and it’s fun to watch those guys work.”
It might not have been perfect, but it was pretty good. So good, in fact, that Vaitai was Detroit’s top-graded offensive player by analytics website Pro Football Focus. They gave him stellar marks as both a run-blocker and pass-protector, where he didn’t surrender a single quarterback pressure.
“I thought he stepped up in there,” Campbell said. “It was the most plays he’s had since the injury. I thought he handled them well. …He was another one of those players that helped us win that game, especially in the critical moment.”
Practice report
The Lions had near-perfect attendance during Tuesday’s practice with only left tackle Taylor Decker sidelined. The starting left tackle is nursing an ankle injury he suffered in the early going of last Thursday’s game, although he was able to finish that contest.
More will be known about Decker’s status later in the week, but if it’s determined he can’t go, he’d be replaced in the lineup by Matt Nelson. He started 11 games for the Lions as an injury replacement in 2021. When previously filling in for Decker, the Lions shifted Sewell to left tackle and played Nelson on the right side.
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