1. TE T.J. Hockenson
Swift and St. Brown are out on Sunday, while wide receivers DJ Chark and Josh Reynolds have been dealing with ankle issues of their own this week. The Seahawks have not done well covering tight ends so far this year, so if there’s a game for Hockenson to get back on track after a slow start to the season this is the one.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the 2020 Pro Bowler expressed confidence he’ll get on track.
"I want to help, and I know what I can do,” the 2020 Pro Bowl tight end told reporters Thursday. “Everyone in this locker room knows what I can do"
It’s worth wondering if his contract situation is weighing on Hockenson a bit, after the Lions picked up his fifth-year option for next year but a long-term deal has yet to be agreed upon. But he dismissed that, as expected.
"I’ve proven I can be a receiver. I’ve proven that, you know, when my number is called, I’ll make a play,” Hockenson said. “So, I’m not really worried about that in any instance. I’m just trying to make an impact on this team, make sure we win, because there’s no doubt about it, when a winning organization comes along, they’ll keep players around, and they’ll give them what they want."
Quite frankly, Hockenson has to step up on Sunday. Target volume was not really an issue in the first two games of the season, with seven in each contest, before he fell to four targets in Week 3. He won’t struggle for targets from Jared Goff against the Seahawks. He also showed better as a run blocker last week, so carrying that to Sunday would be ideal too.