Jared Goff is day-to-day with the oblique injury he suffered last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving his availability in question for Sunday’s game with the Cleveland Browns.
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said Goff would not practice Wednesday and backup Tim Boyle would take first-team reps in his absence.
“We’re taking it day-to-day and he’s going to sit today and then we’ll reassess tomorrow and see how he’s feeling,” Campbell said.
Goff injured his side on an underthrown pass to Kalif Raymond late the first quarter against the Steelers.
[ Lions mailbag: How long before they’re a legitimate contender in NFC North? ]
He finished the game, but had his worst statistical performance in more than two years: He had minus-1 yard passing in the first quarter, was 11 of 20 for 54 yards in regulation, missed several throws to open receivers and finished the game 14 of 25 for 114 yards.
Campbell said he briefly considered replacing Goff with third-string quarterback David Blough, but was assured by Goff, quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell and the Lions’ medical staff that Goff was OK.
Blough also will get first-team quarterback reps in practice this week, though Campbell has said Boyle, when healthy, is the backup.
Boyle broke his right throwing thumb in a preseason loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He underwent surgery in late August and remains on injured reserve.
The Lions started Boyle’s three-week return-to-practice window last week.
“He looked good,” Campbell said. “Worked his way back in there. There again, it was scout team was what he was doing. But he looked good. I mean, he looked comfortable and was throwing it well. You can tell he’s – the finger looks like it’s good. It’s recovered.”
Goff said Sunday his injury “was bothering me, but … I don’t feel like it was a hindrance at any point.”
MORE BIRKETT: Lions’ gross tie proves (again) they should have traded Matthew Stafford to Panthers
MORE BIRKETT: Lions sign K Riley Patterson off New England Patriots practice squad
“Just kind of nagged me a little bit throughout the game,” he said. “I felt like I was fine to stay in there and felt like it didn’t affect me throughout the game. But it’ll be a little sore tomorrow but I’ll be fine.”
The Lions, coming off a physical game with the Steelers, play two games in a five-day span, at Cleveland on Sunday and home next Thursday against the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving.
Campbell Goff’s availability for Sunday will be about pain management and how the injury progresses the next few days.
“Some of it’ll just be if we can get it to calm down a little bit to where it’s more manageable where he feels like he can step into the throw and really put a lot of zing on it,” Campbell said. “So I think it’s twofold. It is the pain, but it’s also, yes, calming it down to where the pain doesn’t affect the torque that you’re trying to put on the trunk. So I think that’s as fast as we can get it to calm down, the better he’ll be.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.