With Sunday’s game against the Vikings still undecided, the Lions put the ball in the hands of a guy who never touches it.
And it wasn’t a play that they’ve secretly been practicing for just the right moment.
The pass to tackle Penei Sewell on third and seven with two minutes left was a new addition to the repertoire. How new? Very new.
Sewell told PFT after the game by phone that he first found out about it on Thursday. And he didn’t practice it until Friday.
He practiced if three times. He caught it twice. On Sunday, he caught it again.
The play had Sewell go in motion, run a short route, make the catch, and dive.
So will Sewell now be on guard for learning on any given Thursday that he’ll be asked to run a pass route during the game?
“After that, now I’m more confident,” Sewell said. “It doesn’t matter what it is. Nine [route], wheel [route], it don’t matter.”
And so the Lions, who have an impressive array of offensive weapons, now have yet another one.