ALLEN PARK – Where is Sam LaPorta?
While the Detroit Lions have had a rough start to the season on offense, their All-Pro tight end has been largely kept in check. He caught six passes for 58 yards and has struggled to impact the passing game in the red zone. He caught seven touchdowns in the red zone last year, but he has yet to catch a pass there this season.
That drew some attention this week after the Lions went just 1 of 7 in the red zone against Tampa, but no one in Detroit is panicking. Certainly not the cool-headed tight end in his second year.
“There are weapons everywhere,” LaPorta said. “You see Jamo has made great plays the last few weeks, you see (Amon-Ra St. Brown) last week with a lot of catches (and) over 100 yards. There are guys everywhere. The defense really has to keep an eye on a lot of guys, so if they can game plan for me and that creates space for other guys, it’s great. If not, I’ll try to do my best to get free and create some explosive plays for the offense.”
LaPorta was one of the league’s most explosive tight ends last season, catching 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns, all franchise records for a rookie tight end. However, he missed most of training camp this summer while dealing with a hamstring injury and then struggled to perform early in the season.
It’s true that Jameson Williams had a breakout start (five catches for 131 yards) and St. Brown performed well in Week 2 (11 catches for 119 yards), but the offense also struggled to score points. That was especially true against Tampa, where 461 yards of offense converted into just 16 points.
A particular problem was the red zone, where the Lions failed to score a touchdown six times – more than any other team in their league since 1981.
LaPorta was so good in the red zone last year and the Lions have worked out plays for him this year too, but Tampa did a good job of taking him off the field.
“We’ve got something for him,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “(Tampa) did a good job of covering things well, and when we get down there, our thing is, if it’s not there, we check it, and man, we stabbed the defense and just tried to wear it down until we get in there and then either run it in or throw it in. We weren’t that good at that early in the game, but we got better. But LaPorta will be fine. He’ll be fine, and we know there’s a spot for him here. We’ve got to get him the ball a little bit. We’ve got the guys here, so we’re going to clean ourselves up and keep going.”
Campbell insists LaPorta is healthy, and the Lions remain hopeful he will get going on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
“My body feels really good,” LaPorta said. “It’s only Week 3, so I’m looking forward to a long, healthy season and lots of wins.”
Until then, LaPorta isn’t worried about production, but in the meantime, he’s focused on doing whatever he can to help the team, including blocking.
“Obviously, it’s great to be part of the production,” LaPorta said. “The biggest goal, of course, is to win games. It’s great that we have a really creative offensive coordinator and offensive coaching staff in general, so I know they’re going to find ways to distribute the ball. Some games, the targets might find you. Sometimes, they might not. Like I said, the most important thing is to win. If I can help with a few catches, that’s great. If not and we still win, that’s great.”
- BETS: Read our guide to best sports betting sites in Michiganwhere our team of sports betting experts reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for several sportsbooks.
