Jared Goff did not practice again for the Lions on Friday, so it’s lined up to be Tim Boyle time Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
A limited Jared Goff was further limited by an oblique injury for most of the Lions’ Week 10 tie of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He missed practice on Wednesday, ceding first-team snaps to Tim Boyle, then sat out again on Thursday as the trend moved toward Goff missing a game.
During his Friday media session, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he would make the decision on the starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns by day’s end. The expectation was that Goff would throw during Friday’s practice. Well….
There’s a chance, however remote if he can’t even throw lightly at practice, that Goff will be listed as questionable for Sunday and he’ll dress to play only in an emergency. But that looks like the best case scenario for him, and Tim Boyle is lined up to make his first NFL start.
Tim Boyle is the great unknown for the Lions, and everyone else
Boyle spent the first half of the season on IR after thumb surgery, and he returned to practice 11 days ago. He spent his first three NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers, seeing little action (four pass attempts) outside of kneeldowns behind Aaron Rodgers (-16 career rushing yards).
Boyle wasn’t even a good college quarterback, with more than twice as many interceptions (26) than touchdowns (12) over three seasons at UConn and one at Eastern Kentucky. But, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Campbell cited Boyle’s confidence level.
Let me say this about Tim Boyle, he lacks zero confidence, I can tell you that,” Campbell said. “He’s got plenty of confidence, and so that’s a good thing, but that can also (be a detriment). So we’ll see where this game goes if he’s our guy and see where the weather takes us, see where he takes us. But I know this, we have to be smart with him and let him work into a rhythm.”
Frankly, Boyle can’t really been any worse than Goff has been this season. If he’s able to move around some and he’s willing to take some chances down the field, without inviting an avalanche of turnovers, the Lions’ offense has a chance to look as good as it has looked all season.