Tag: Tim Patrick

Why Bills-Lions promises to be offense explosion in Week 15

Why Bills-Lions promises to be offense explosion in Week 15

When the Buffalo Bills travel to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions in Week 15 they will face the only team in the NFL that scores more points than them.

The Lions (12-1) average 32.1 points per game, leading the NFL. The Bills (10-3) average 30.5 points per game, second in the NFL. They are the only two teams in the league that average over 30 per game.

Though both teams are well-rounded in all phases, their explosive offenses are the reason they are both among the favorites to win the Super Bowl.

But, they haven’t always produced these types of numbers. Both Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady made drastic differences recently for their franchises.

Johnson took over the reigns as OC in Detroit in 2022 and immediately enhanced the offensive output. The Lions improved from the 25th-most ppg in 2021 (19.1) to the 5th-most in 2022 (26.6). And in return, the team improved from a 3-13-1 record in 2021 to 9-8 in 2022.

In 2021, quarterback Jared Goff posted the 17-highest passer rating in the NFL (91.5) and with Johnson in 2022, he shot up to 7th-best in the NFL (99.3). It was his best passer rating since the 2018 season in which he went to the Super Bowl under the offensive-minded Sean McVay with the Rams.

Goff earned a Pro Bowl appearance in 2022 and posted a career-low interception percentage (1.2%). Fast forward a couple of years and the combination of Goff and Johnson continues to get better. He is currently second in the league in passer rating (109.1).

Brady had had a similar effect on Josh Allen. From 2021 through 2023, Allen averaged a passer rating of 93.7, and so far in 2024, Allen has a rating of 101.9.

In 2024 (Brady’s first full year as OC), the Bills are averaging the second-most points per game in a season in Bills history. Their 30.5 ppg trails only the 2020 team (31.3 ppg).

Since Brady took over as the interim OC in Week 11 of 2023, the Bills are 16-4. But, both Johnson and Brady would tell you that they wouldn’t be as effective as coordinators if they didn’t have the special talent that they do on offense. And it’s not just the talent of the players they have but rather the versatility of their guys that can allow their offenses to win in many different ways.

In the 2024 offseason, Brady coined the phrase “everybody eats” as he was sharing his vision for the Bills offense. In July, he said, “We’re kind of in the process of trying to see what all of our guys can do, their different skill sets. I’m so excited about the group that we have, the tight ends and the receivers, because it’s so many different skill sets. You hope that the versatility allows it to play a little harder for defenses to defend.”

His vision has come true. The Bills have multiple weapons at running back, tight end, and receiver that can all hurt a defense in different ways. As for Johnson and the Lions, they are taking a similar approach due to their plethora of playmakers at the skill positions.

Following a Week 5 win over the Cowboys in which they scored 47 points, Johnson talked about the ways he can get creative as a playcaller and give a defense different looks due to the variety of talent he has to work with. Not only can he spread the ball around, but he can mix in trick plays, too.

“The well is deep,” Johnson said regarding his playbook. “We can run a million different types of plays. With that, I don’t like to run the same one twice.”

Over their last four games, the Lions have four pass-catchers averaging at least 35 receiving yards per game: Amon-Ra St. Brown (84.8 ypg); Jameson Williams (74 ypg); Tim Patrick (43 ypg); Sam LaPorta (36.3 ypg). And, they have two running backs averaging at least 60 rushing yards per game over that time: Jahmyr Gibbs (72.3 ypg); David Montgomery (62.8 ypg). Add in the fact that both Gibbs and Montgomery can hurt you in the passing game, and that St. Brown and Williams can take a jet sweep, and you can see why defenses have been in a bind all year against them.

As for the Bills, they have a strong possibility to get WR Keon Coleman and TE Dalton Kincaid back into the lineup after they have both missed time. They would join an offense that just scored 42 points last week without them, scoring six touchdowns and committing zero turnovers.

The Bills are looking to get the sour taste of last week’s loss to the Rams (44-42) out of their mouth. With Week 15 being another game in cozy dome between two high-powered offenses, this one may be a second-straight shootout for Bills.

Both teams still have a lot to play for, with the Bills chasing the one-seed in the AFC and the Lions trying to fend off an 11-2 Vikings team in the NFC North.

Twitter reacts to Tim Patrick scoring 2 touchdowns on ‘TNF’

It’s great to see Tim Patrick making big plays!

Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick had a big game on Thursday Night Football, scoring two touchdowns in the Detroit Lions’ 34-31 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Here’s a sampling of how Twitter reacted to Patrick’s big game.

Following Thursday’s win, the Lions are now 12-1 with a commanding lead in the NFC. Patrick has hauled in 27 receptions for 349 yards and two scores this season.

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Lions WR Tim Patrick is starting to carve out a role on offense

Lions WR Tim Patrick is starting to carve out a role on offense, getting more valuable by the week – film review by Russell Brown

When the Detroit Lions signed wide receiver Tim Patrick to their practice squad, I was very optimistic about his potential role and opportunity with the team. Over a month with the team and it’s pretty clear that Patrick is starting to develop his role within the Lions offense.

Setting in around 30 offensive snaps a game, Patrick is making the most of his opportunities. Whether he’s blocking or catching passes, it’s been nothing but positives for him. Especially since there was a lot of uncertainty around what he could and could not do for an offense as he spent consecutive seasons on injured reserve.

Looking healthy from a torn ACL in 2022 and torn Achilles in 2023, Patrick is becoming a difference maker that most fans didn’t think the Lions would need. Over the last two weeks, he’s recorded 5 receptions on 5 targets for 120 yards and four first downs. Let’s dive into some tape to see how it’s all coming together for him.

Starting with one of the most recent receptions from Patrick, it was one of the first plays of the game and it was a deep shot to Tim Patrick down the sideline.

On the play above, you’ll see the Lions come out in a trips formation and to the bottom of the screen is Tim Patrick. While working vertically down the field, Patrick gets past the defender and despite facing plenty of contact from him, Patrick does a great job making this catch. It was a great adjustment and one of those plays that not only gives Jared Goff confidence but gives the receiver confidence as well.

The next play I want to focus on is how Tim Patrick helps Jared Goff attack the middle of the field. One of the big things that helped the Lions offense last year was being able to hit on crossers over the middle, slant routes and dig routes.

So looking at the play above, the Lions come out from under center and prior to the snap, Jameson Williams is sent on a jet motion. In the process, the ball is snapped and while it appears like Williams could get the ball, Goff actually fakes a hand-off to Jahmyr Gibbs.

From there, Goff begins to process downfield and while he starts to his left, he quickly works right. As he does, you can see Tim Patrick running vertically upfield before breaking his route back to the middle of the field. Now I’m calling this route a dig but the more I watch it, it could be a deep curl. It does appear that Patrick slips just a step but overall, it’s a great pitch and catch from Goff and Patrick.

So far this season, Patrick is up to 8 receptions for 140 yards. Over the last two weeks, he’s had long gains of 29 yards (vs Seattle) and 42 yards (vs Dallas). As I said, the rapport is starting to build between Goff and Patrick. With that building, it should force defenders to honor Patrick more when he’s on the field, and that should do wonders for the rest of the playmakers on the Lions offense.

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Broncos Twitter reacts to Tim Patrick making plays with Lions

The Broncos could use a player like Tim Patrick on offense right about now.

The Denver Broncos made a surprising decision in August when they decided to cut veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick. The team said they liked their depth at receiver and wanted to carry players at other positions on the 53-man roster, so Patrick was made expendable.

Denver ended up cutting Patrick after failing to trade him and the receiver landed with the Detroit Lions. The Broncos’ offense has missed him.

While Denver was struggling to get anything going against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Patrick turned heads with an impressive 42-yard catch in an eventual 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Here’s a sampling of how Twitter/X reacted to Patrick’s performance:

https://twitter.com/Lions/status/1845565109864972577

After going scoreless through the first three quarters, Denver’s offense came to life in the fourth quarter with two touchdowns and a field goal.

Courtland Sutton ended the day with 53 yards and a touchdown, Troy Franklin had 31 yards and a touchdown and Devaughn Vele ended the game with a team-high 78 yards in a 23-16 loss.

Patrick ended his day with the Lions with 68 receiving yards. After the game, Detroit quarterback Jared Goff gushed with praise for the receiver.

The Broncos’ decision to cut Patrick remains a curious one.

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Snap count notes: How Detroit replaced the injured Lions in Week 4

Snap count notes: How Detroit replaced the injured Lions in Week 4

One of the questions regarding the Detroit Lions entering Monday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks was, how will the Lions coaches replace the players lost to recent injuries?

The snap counts from the game reflect some pretty clear answers.

Detroit played just 53 total offensive snaps, a total that is normally on the wrong end of the scoreboard. Jared Goff not throwing a single incompletion and the big plays that produced quick touchdowns held back the play count on the offense.

Graham Glasgow switched from left guard to center and played every snap. Kayode Awosika slid into the LG spot and also went the whole way.

Extra tackle Dan Skipper was on the field for four snaps. All four of those came as part of a “jumbo” package that also included No. 3 TE Parker Hesse, who saw seven total reps. Top TE Sam LaPorta had no issues in playing 47 snaps, the same number as WR Amon-Ra St. Brown.

At receiver, Tim Patrick has run away with the No. 3 role. He played 21 snaps to just six for Kalif Raymond. Running back saw Jahmyr Gibbs out rep David Montgomery, 30-21, with No. 3 back Craig Reynolds playing the final two kneeldowns. Sione Vaki didn’t rep on offense in this game.

With so few offensive plays, the defense was on the field a lot. Detroit’s defense had 90 snaps, the highest of any team that’s won a game all year. Keep in mind that plays negated by penalty don’t count, so the Lions defense was out there for 99!

Replacing EDGE Marcus Davenport was a group chore. Levi Onwuzurike got the lion’s share with 56 reps, though he moved around the formation. Josh Paschal was on the field for 53, which seems a very high total until looking at Aidan Hutchinson playing 78–an 87 percent snap rate. James Houston had his biggest outing of the season with 14 reps.

The LB reps from injured Derrick Barnes divvied up across Malcolm Rodriguez (31), Ben Niemann (23), Jalen Reeves-Maybin (18) and Trevor Nowaske (8). Alex Anzalone was the only defensive player on the field for all 90 snaps in his return from missing Week 3 with a concussion.

Safety turned into the Joseph and Joseph show without injured Brian Branch. Both Josephs, Kerby and Brandon, played 89 of 90 snaps at safety. Undrafted rookie Loren Strickland only played on special teams.

At cornerback, Amik Robertson played 52 snaps as the slot corner. Kindle Vildor (5) and rookie Ennis Rakestraw (1) only saw action when starters Terrion Arnold (84) and Carlton Davis (88) had brief interruptions.

Ex-Broncos third-round draft pick works out for Cardinals

The Cardinals worked out McTelvin Agim, the Falcons signed Elijah Wilkinson and the Lions promoted Tim Patrick to the active roster today.

The Arizona Cardinals brought in former Denver Broncos defensive lineman McTelvin Agim for a workout on Tuesday, according to KPRC-TV’s Aaron Wilson.

Agim (6-3, 300 pounds) was picked by the Broncos in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft out of Arkansas. He recorded eight tackles in ten games as a rookie and four tackles and 1.5 sacks in seven games in 2021. After failing to make the team’s 53-man roster in 2022, he spent most of that season on the practice squad before being released in December.

Since being cut by the Broncos, the 26-year-old Agim has spent time with the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts. He played in one game with the Colts last fall, recording two tackles.

Elsewhere on the ex-Denver player front, the Atlanta Falcons signed former Broncos lineman Elijah Wilkinson to their active roster on Tuesday and the Detroit Lions promoted wide receiver Tim Patrick from the practice squad to their 53-man roster ahead of Week 4.

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Lions promote ex-Broncos WR Tim Patrick to 53-man roster

The Lions have promoted ex-Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick from their practice squad to their 53-man roster.

The Detroit Lions kept their word.

After the Denver Broncos released veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick in August, the Lions signed Patrick to their practice squad “with the idea that he will work his way on to the active roster,” according to ESPN.

Now three weeks into the season, Detroit has promoted Patrick from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Patrick was elevated from the practice squad for the team’s first two games. That won’t be necessary anymore as he is now a full-time member of the active roster.

The Broncos cut Patrick last month after failing to find a trade partner (they were unable to get a deal done with the New Orleans Saints). Patrick has three receptions for 20 yards, one first touchdown and one touchdown with two games with the Lions.

Courtland Sutton (12 receptions for 132 yards), Josh Reynolds (11/174) and Lil’Jordan Humphrey (10/87) have been Denver’s top three receivers this season. Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix is yet to throw his first touchdown pass in the NFL.

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Lions elevate two WRs from the practice squad for Week 3

Lions elevate WRs Tim Patrick and Allen Robinson from the practice squad for Week 3

The Detroit Lions receiving corps will look bigger in the team’s Week 3 match with the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions elevated two veteran wideouts with some size to the active roster from the practice squad.

Tim Patrick and Allen Robinson earned the elevations for the game in Arizona. It’s the second week in a row that Patrick will be elevated. He caught two passes for 12 yards in Detroit’s Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers.

Robinson will be making his Lions debut. The 31-year-old was added to the practice squad shortly after roster cutdowns.

They immediately become the two largest receivers on the Detroit offense. Robinson is listed at 210 pounds at 6-foot-2, while Patrick is 6-foot-4 and 212.

No other roster moves were made, meaning Tom Kennedy will not be active for the first time this season.

The Broncos miss Tim Patrick on offense

With reliable hands and the ability to make contested catches, Tim Patrick could have helped the Broncos pick up first downs this season.

The Denver Broncos made a curious decision in August to cut veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick, initially opting to carry just five receivers on the 53-man roster (Lil’Jordan Humphrey has since been called up from the practice squad).

Patrick now plays for the Detroit Lions, and the Broncos’ offense has missed him. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has struggled for a multitude of reasons, with a lack of support from his receivers among them.

Fans and pundits have been calling for Denver to inject more speed into offense with Marvin Mims or Troy Franklin. Admittedly, Patrick would not provide more speed, and he probably wouldn’t create more separation than the team’s current receivers have, but neither of those traits have been his strengths.

Patrick is a physical receiver who can make contested catches in tight coverage, and he has extremely reliable hands — something Denver could use right about now as receivers and tight ends continue to drop passes.

Patrick and Larry Fitzgerald were the NFL’s only receivers with 70-plus targets and no drops in 2020. Overall, Patrick had four drops in his final three seasons with the Broncos before back-to-back injuries.

Patrick is still getting up to speed in Detroit and he only drew three targets on Sunday, but he caught two of those passes for 12 yards and a first down. The Broncos could have used his reliable hands to help move the chains this fall.

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Lions snap count notes: Big rep debuts for Tim Patrick and DJ Reader

Lions snap count notes vs. Buccaneers in Week 2: Big rep debuts for Tim Patrick and DJ Reader

The day after a game is always a good time to check back in on who played and for how long for the Detroit Lions. Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers snap counts are now out.

Before even getting to the player participation, the stark discrepancy in the number of offensive snaps jumps off the sheet. Detroit ran 85 offensive plays, while Tampa Bay ran just 48. The Lions ran 37 more plays than the Bucs.

That crazy split puts a cap on some of the Detroit defensive participation; there just weren’t nearly as many opportunities as in a normal game. Three players, all in the secondary, played every defensive snap:

Kerby Joseph
Brian Branch
Carlton Davis

Slot CB Amk Robertson played 18 snaps, including four filling in for starting outside CB Terrion Arnold when Arnold dealt with a finger injury.

Linebacker Alex Anzalone played all 40 available snaps before departing with a concussion. That left Derrick Barnes playing the most reps at LB, with 45. Jack Campbell played 35, followed by Malcolm Rodriguez with 19. Jalen Reeves-Maybin did sneak onto the field for two.

James Houston played three snaps in his return to the lineup at EDGE. With Marcus Davenport out, Levi Onwuzurike took over most of his snaps. Onwuzurike was on the field for 36 of the 48 snaps. Aidan Hutchinson played his customary 90 percent of snaps, playing 43. DJ Reader saw action on 25 in his Lions debut.

On offense, the entire starting offensive line and QB Jared Goff were iron men and never left the field.

At RB, Jahmyr Gibbs out-repped David Montgomery 53 to 30. Sione Vaki played four reps, while Craig Reynolds played three out of 85 snaps.

Tim Patrick wound up getting more snaps at wide receiver than Kalif Raymond. Patrick, called up from the practice squad, played 33 to Raymond’s 31. Tom Kennedy played five, though Kennedy was Detroit’s primary kick returner in this game.

The Lions had three reserve offensive linemen who played one snap apiece: Dan Skipper, Kayode Awosika and Michael Niese. Those came on the fake punt attempt, which counts as an offensive rep.