Tim Patrick has become exactly what the Lions needed to round out WR group

After his two drops in the NFC Championship Game loss, many Detroit Lions' said good riddance to Josh Reynolds after he signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency. But it's clear he played an important role in the offense, and the plan to replace him internally didn't go well.

Fortune smiled on the Lions a bit when they were able to add Tim Patrick to their practice squad after the Broncos let him go. If he could be healthy after missing each of the last two seasons, there may be something there. He certainly fit the physical profile the wide receiver group was missing.

Patrick went from a 39 percent snap share in his first game as a Lion (Week 2) to a 50 percent snap share in his second. Then he started making plays, with two catches for 52 yards in Week 4 against the Seattle Seahawks. His blocking has also been noticeable, with coaches noting his professionalism and how well he has fit.

Tim Patrick has become the Josh Reynolds replacement the Lions were seeking

On the Lions' first drive in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys, facing a third-and-5, Jared Goff unleashed a deep pass to Patrick. Shrugging of uncalled pass interference from former Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye, Patrick made a great adjustment and caught the ball for a 42-yard gain.

On Thursday, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson highlighted that play.

"Huge, huge play to get us going there on that first third down last week," Johnson said, via Richard Silva of the Detroit News. "Where we said going into the game, 'Hey, if we get a one-on-one with you, we’re going to throw it up and you need to come down and make a play.' And sure enough, he did it."

Patrick also nearly had a touchdown against the Cowboys, going down just short of the end zone as he finished the game with 68 yards on three catches. Four of his five catches over the last two weeks have gone for first downs, with three 20-plus yard plays over that span.

Russell Brown of Lions Wire has a nice breakdown of the all-around impact Patrick is having on the Lions' offense as the rapport between he and Goff grows. It took longer then they wanted, with what proved to be misplaced initial faith in who they already had, but the Lions have found their replacement for Reynolds.