The Detroit Lions have enjoyed a balanced offense thus far this season, and in spite of some ups and downs, have been remarkably consistent. But that doesn't mean there haven't been a few opportunities for improvement.
With respect to the wide receivers, an emphasis has been placed on getting Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa more involved. Williams had been a part of the game plan, but had struggled to unlock himself in a major way with some drops and mistakes. TeSlaa simply hadn't gotten any looks.
Finally, that changed as part of Detroit's gritty 31-24 win over the New York Jets in Week 3. Instead of being an afterthought, TeSlaa made every one of his three targets count, collecting 66 yards receiving. Two of the catches were of the clutch variety, with one coming on fourth-down to extend a first-half drive and the other 49 yard burst leading to the eventual game-winning score. At long last, TeSlaa was more than just one flashy touchdown catch.
It was the kind of day that fans and analysts alike have craved for TeSlaa, especially after he showed his tantalizing potential last season. In spite of that, the young receiver maintains he is setting out to succeed at doing his entire job at receiver, even if the statistics don't always bear out an impactful performance.
"I mean, catching the ball is always great. That's our ultimate goal. But there's so much more to the position in terms of blocking and all the other concepts. You may not be getting the ball, but you're opening other guys up. So, it's gratifying to get the ball, but I'll just do whatever it takes (to win)."
Humility aside, the Lions become much more dangerous when they are able to get an additional weapon like TeSlaa involved. With Williams always a threat to explode and Amon-Ra St. Brown continuing to put up leading wideout numbers, a dangerous third option represents the key to truthfully unlocking Detroit's offensive potential.
For one day, TeSlaa gave everyone a vision of what could be for the Lions in terms of diversity. Hopefully, he is able to parlay the momentum from his best game as a pro into a bigger imprint on the team's game plan.
TeSlaa wants Lions to get off to a more consistent start offensively
Even though Detroit remarkably scored 31 points for the third consecutive game, the Lions started slow once again, managing only a 10-7 lead at half. This season, they have had a penchant for big second-half performances, but also digging themselves early holes they must crawl out from.
As TeSlaa knows, it's important for the Lions to quit sleepwalking in games on the offensive side, especially when the defense is playing well. If they are able to do that, the might end up as one of the best offenses in the league given how consistent they are with regards to everything else.
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"We've got to start faster at the end of the day. We can't have two drives where we're not scoring. We feel we have a big responsibility as an offense to get out there and score every drive, and that's our mentality. It's nice to get in a rhythm (and) in a flow, but we want to start that sooner in the game."
No matter any of the nitpicking, the Lions will take a performance like TeSlaa's for confidence's sake. If they can get this kind of game from players like him further down the pecking order, there's little doubt that they will evolve into one of the more dangerous teams in the league.
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