In his debut NFL season, rookie tight end Sam LaPorta of the Detroit Lions has stormed the league.
After a stellar rookie season, the youthful pass-catcher was selected for the Pro Bowl and made to the second team of the All-Pro team. Among his many achievements were setting the rookie tight end record for catches and scoring ten touchdowns.
He doesn’t, however, escape head coach Dan Campbell’s censure.
Speaking on the “Rich Eisen Show” on Wednesday, LaPorta related a recent incident in which his third-year coach became enraged due to a poor performance.
“I’ll give you one that was really good the other evening. I had a representative on one of the defensive ends. It was alright, not my best work,” LaPorta remarked. “He made the play and shed the block. Naturally, the first person I see on the sidelines is coach Campbell. He’s screaming at me and his face is all red. “LaPorta, you are superior to that.” You’re not worthy of that. I felt like I had to perform better than that, or else the coach would yank me off the field immediately.
Campbell’s NFL experience as a tight end has made people more conscious of the duties associated with the position. Because of this, the novice has no trouble taking in the criticism and keeping getting better.
“Acquire the coaching. He was fifteen yards from me, according to LaPorta. “I could have heard him yelling at me if I had been on the opposite side of the field. Just accept the coaching, though, and realize that I still have a long way to go.
In recent weeks, the secondary for the Lions has suffered greatly.
The defense has given up 379 passing yards per game on average since Week 16 in Minnesota. An opponent wideout has surpassed 180 receiving yards in the last three games.
The durability of Detroit’s defensive backfield has thus been called into doubt. Specifically, Cam Sutton has had difficulty in the past several weeks versus opposition wide receivers.
Over his last four games, Sutton has given up 403 receiving yards on 22 of 26 passes, according to Pro Football Focus. Defense coordinator Aaron Glenn has continued to have faith in the defender in spite of these setbacks.
He handled those like an expert, you know. The only issue is that I simply got older; I didn’t have to deal with the social media problem back in the day, according to Glenn. “But let’s face it, everyone has a viewpoint. Okay? Everyone is in agreement. Most of the time, many of them have no idea what the hell they’re talking about. Ultimately, though, as a guy competing on that field, you have to know who you are and what your responsibilities are. Every day, you put in a lot of effort and work hard to complete the tasks at hand.
People mistakenly believe that something is happening when you play defense. People assume you have aid or you don’t; nobody can tell for sure unless you attend those sessions with us, according to Glenn. “He’s doing a great job of comprehending exactly what we’re asking him to do and has cocooned himself into a cocoon. And hear this: every week, we’re going to keep pushing him to be the best version of himself. He is happy with us, listen.
The Lions offense slowed down and was inert for a while after scoring touchdowns on their opening three plays.
Michael Badgley’s 54-yard field goal in the third quarter gave them their lone point. Throughout his time as coach, Campbell’s kick was the longest.
Dave Fipp, the coordinator of special teams, clarified that a number of factors, including down, distance, and score, were taken into account.
But, Badgley’s reliable practice performance has also contributed to the team’s faith in him.
I believe that there are other factors at play as well, beyond just the kicker’s skill or our desire to or lack thereof to make a long field goal, Fipp stated. “I don’t think that will change; it’s really what’s best for the football team.” But as you can see in him, giving such a big kick certainly boosts your confidence. Having said that, I believe he has been hitting the ball well for a while, which is essentially the reason he has been playing that position for us—something we already discussed.
