The Detroit Lions will elevate two veteran wide receivers for their Week 3 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals… and not the same two as last week.
For the second week in a row, the Detroit Lions will elevate two veteran wide receivers from the practice squad to the active roster for their upcoming Week 3 game against the Arizona Cardinals. Tim Patrick will get the nod for the second time in as many weeks, while Allen Robinson will make his debut with the Lions.
Patrick was elevated in Week 2 and played 39% of offensive snaps, third most amongst the receivers group against the Bucs, catching two of his three targets for 12 yards. Even more important than his production, Patrick’s presence at WR-X allowed the Lions to deploy Amon-Ra St. Brown in a more natural role and he went off with 11 receptions for 119 receiving yards.
Patrick’s role was significant enough for what the Lions want to do on offense, that Lions coach Dan Campbell didn’t mince words when discussing his potential involvement this week.
“The plan would be to elevate and use him,” Campbell said on Friday. “We expect to use him more this week. He’s had a good week at practice. I like him, I really do. He fits us just the way he is, the way he works, his attention to detail, and he brings a little something different to us. He’s a big guy. He’s a big target, he’s physical, he’s tough, so I’m glad he’s here.”
With Patrick now using two of his three available elevations for the season, Campbell acknowledged that they will eventually need to add him to the active roster, “but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
This will be Robinson’s first game of the 2024 season, but the 11-year veteran should be ready to go. Campbell has been “paying close attention” to his progress over the last two weeks on the practice squad and now he appears to be up to speed with the Lions playbook enough to contribute. Another option for the WR-X role, Robinson is also one of the best blocking wide receivers in the game and could find the field in several different situations.
As a reminder, both Patrick and Robinson will revert back to the Lions practice squad following the game and will not be subjected to waivers.
