Pride Of Detroit on Sam LaPorta
From the article
LaPorta, a key offensive cornerstone in a contract year, sure looked like the break-in-case-of-emergency player for the offense. Jared Goff called him the catalyst for everything and illuminated how his key plays changed the landscape of the game.
STACKED’s take
LaPorta's five-catch, 88-yard game with TD shows why offense stalled after his injury.
LaPorta, in a contract year, functioned as the offensive catalyst in the Lions' dominant 45-21 win over Arizona. Jared Goff credited him with changing the game's landscape. LaPorta made a vital fourth-and-3 catch over the middle while being clobbered by Mack Wilson Sr. to move the chains for the first time all day on Detroit's fourth possession; on the next drive he made rookie Wydett Williams Jr. miss on third-and-long to set up fourth-and-inches, then caught a wide-open 38-yard touchdown. He also pulled off a twisting, diving grab down the seam for a first down in the fourth quarter, finishing with five catches on five targets for a season-high 88 receiving yards (44 after the catch) while adding pivotal run blocks on the edge. The source notes his injury last season caused the offense's consistency to fall off, underscoring his importance.
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