Mike

Furrey

Furrey started at safety for the Rams last season.

Furrey surprisingly emerged as QB Jon Kitna’s favorite target and impressed while hanging onto a first-down catch on third-and-long despite a huge hit by Ken Hamlin in the second quarter.

Kevin Curtis is active at wide receiver as expected. Steven Jackson will back up Marshall Faulk at running back.

It’s quite a statement that Furrey, a receiver as recently as April, is now the team’s starter at their most troublesome position.

We’d never heard of Limestone before today, either. MLB Hall of Fame P Gaylord Perry is the lone notable alum. Furrey was one of the more interesting players in his days with the Rams and Lions, alternating between receiver and safety for Mike Martz’s teams. He had a 98-1,086-6 receiving season in 2006 for Detroit a year after picking off four passes as an 11-game starter at safety.

Furrey dealt with knee soreness in camp, but appears to be 100 percent. Furrey should get starter-worthy snaps against a terrific Oakland secondary whether he plays the first snap over Calvin Johnson or not.

No Lion wideout topped 37 yards as Detroit played conservatively. If that continues, Furrey is playing with a small margin for error. He’s a marginal WR3 next week against the Bears.

Furrey had caught exactly five passes in four straight games, but the Lions entire offense was shut down in this one. He should be a decent option, especially in PPR leagues, going forward.

Furrey had returned to practice at one point, but suffered an apparent setback on Wednesday when he was held out. This is a situation to keep an eye on in PPR leagues, where Furrey can be an effective WR4 if healthy.

Furrey has shown no signs of slowing down after his breakout 2006 season, catching five passes in each of the first two games despite the abundance of receiving talent around him in Detroit.