With or without Jared Goff, the Detroit Lions could be getting a boost for their passing game this week.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday he expects new receiver Josh Reynolds to make his Lions debut Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
Reynolds was inactive for last week’s 16-16 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, four days after the Lions claimed him off waivers from the Tennessee Titans.
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“He has length, he’s got speed, and he’s kind of a build-to-speed guy but you see when he can step into his route, he’s pretty good,” Campbell said. “And he’s pretty fluid downfield, tracks the ball pretty well. So I think he can help us in some of our maybe one-on-one matchups, give a ball out there and let him go attack a corner one-on-one. So that’s kind of how we’ll try to use him a little bit as well.”
Reynolds played his first four NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, where he was teammates with Goff.
Goff suffered an oblique injury against the Steelers and did not practice Thursday. His status for this week is uncertain.
Tim Boyle, who missed the first half of the season with a thumb injury suffered in preseason, will start at quarterback if Goff cannot play.
The Lions, 0-8-1 and the only winless team in the NFL, have the league’s worst passing offense, according to metrics compiled by Football Outsiders. They rank 31st in yards per pass play, have allowed 27 sacks in nine games and Goff is last in the league in intended air yards per completion and attempt.
Kalif Raymond and Amon-Ra St. Brown have played as the Lions’ top two receivers most of the season and likely will remain in that role, with Reynolds serving for now as a complementary piece on the outside.
“We also want to be smart (with him),” Campbell said. “I mean, we don’t want to throw him to the wolves, either. But he’s certainly going. We’ll get him in, get him going.”
Two chances
Campbell said he felt a change at kicker was necessary after Ryan Santoso missed two kicks, including the potential game-winning field goal, against the Steelers.
“Sometimes you don’t know what’s going to happen till you get put in a situation like that,” he said. “High stress, pressure, and so we just felt like we needed to make it and give another guy a chance. And I just, I just think it’s important, that’s all. Kind of hate it for him, but at the same time that’s the nature of this business. Sometimes you only get two chances, and you got to perform if that’s your job description.”
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The Lions added two kickers Tuesday, signing Riley Patterson off the New England Patriots practice squad and adding Aldrick Rosas to their practice squad.
On Patterson, Campbell said, “We liked him, he’s young, and we liked him coming out (of college) and see how he does.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.