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The “professionalism” of the Lions WR stands out as his role increases

The “professionalism” of the Lions WR stands out as his role increases

Allen Park – Before their win over the Dallas Cowboys, the Detroit Lions had a challenge for Tim Patrick.

And the receiver came through great.

The Lions faced a third-and-five on their first drive of the game, and they placed Patrick wide out with former Detroit cornerback Amani Oruwariye lining up opposite him. Quarterback Jared Goff realized there was only one safety depth and he knew he had to give his big-bodied WR a chance.

Patrick deflected some touches from Oruwariye and made the 42-yard catch, his longest reception of the season.

“That was a huge game that got us there in the first period last week,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said Thursday. “Going into the game, we said, ‘Hey, if we get a one-on-one with you, we’re going to throw it up and you’ve got to come down and make a play.’ And actually he did it.

Patrick was the perfect addition to an offense looking to replace the 608 rushing yards posted a season ago by Josh Reynolds, who was traded to the Denver Broncos in March. The Lions have big playmakers — Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta — to shoulder much of the passing load, but they needed someone with size to fill the void left by Reynolds.

Not only did Patrick do that, he also used his opportunities efficiently. The 6-foot-4 receiver has been targeted 10 times this season, including eight times for 140 yards. He hasn’t scored since the fourth quarter of Week 3, when he made his season debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“He’s a professional,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “The way he prepares, the way he works, the type of teammate he is, the athlete he is. Man, he’s wide, he’s got a catch radius, he blocks downfield, he’s got good hands, good, strong hands. He brings a… A different element than we have in the reception room. It brings something we don’t have, which is music to your ears when you’re setting up some kind of attack. It simply gives you a different type of weapon.

“And then he fits right in with our boys. I mean, he’s just – he gives it his all. He has no problem doing dirty work. We have a lot of things to expect from him this week. Every week.” “We ask more of him, mentally and physically, which is good.”

Patrick, 30, has been in the NFL since leaving Utah in 2017. He worked on the Denver Broncos’ practice squad for a year before getting a chance the next season. He ran with it, catching 143 passes for 2,009 yards and 12 touchdowns from 2018 to 2021 before back-to-back season-ending injuries slowed him in 2022 and 2023. He was released by Denver in August.

Bottom line: Patrick is a seasoned veteran and the coaching staff has taken note.

“From the beginning, it was always professionalism,” Johnson said of Patrick. “Very smart, very detailed, and when it comes to his style of play, he fits that space. … That’s what (WRs coach Antwaan) Randle El preaches, it’s what Saint embodies, it’s what Kalif (Raymond) embodies.” And what Jameson embodies, they’re physical, they’re getting very smart and know where to position themselves.

“They know what to do, and that’s why it fits this space perfectly.”

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