The gang is getting back together again in the Detroit Lions wide receiver room.
After DJ Chark made his return to practice in more than a month on Wednesday, it was good to see Josh Reynolds back at the open portion of practice on Thursday. Reynolds has missed the last two games with a back injury.
For the first time in more than a month we watched Amon-Ra St. Brown, Chark and Reynolds – Detroit's top three receivers entering the regular season – take part in individual drills together at practice.
"It was awesome to be back out there with everybody and to have everybody out there again," Reynolds said after practice Thursday. "We haven't had that really since Week 3. It's been a minute."
Reynolds said he'll have a better idea of his availability for Sunday's game in New York after Friday's practice.
GIANTS PREP
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones isn't the same caliber of athlete Chicago quarterback Justin Fields is.
Fields rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions' defense last week, but Jones is more than capable of burning the Lions' defense with his legs if they let him.
Jones has a 100-yard rushing performance under his belt this season (107 yards Week 7 vs. Jacksonville) and has rushed for 387 yards and three touchdowns in eight games with a 5.6-yard average per carry.
"It's the nature of this league now. Everybody wants a quarterback that has a chance to make some things with their legs and again, he's not Fields, but he's a capable mobile quarterback," Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said of Jones on Thursday.
"So, we just have to make sure that we're good on these quarterback run plays that they give him. And again, we've got to tackle, we've got to tackle."
On the year, the Lions have allowed 374 rushing yards (6.5 average) and four touchdowns to quarterbacks.
New York wants to feed running back Saquon Barkley – 35 carries last week vs. Houston – and then run play action, quarterback boot plays and designed quarterback runs off it. The Giants lead the league in play action pass attempts.
It's the second straight week the Lions will have to deal with a dual-threat quarterback, so the game plan is hopefully still fresh in their minds.
ON THE LIST
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was included in NFL media insider Tom Pelissero's recently released list of the top head coach candidates under the age of 45 for the next coaching cycle.
Here's what Pelissero had to say about Johnson, 36:
"Those who have worked with Johnson say he has one of the NFL's sharpest minds. (How many guys walk on to the football team as a quarterback while earning degrees in math and computer science, as Johnson did at North Carolina?) So, it's no surprise the Lions' offense found life midway through the 2021 season when Johnson and head coach Dan Campbell -- who spent four years with Johnson on the Dolphins' staff -- took the reins.
"Johnson previously has coached quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends, and he has a good feel for the whole picture. Is he ready to run his own show after one year with a coordinator title? That's unknown. But his reputation figures to get him in the room sooner than later.
FUN FACT
The Lions have scored 30 or more points in four games this season, tied for the most in the NFL. The Giants have not reached the 30-point mark in 37 consecutive games, the longest streak in the NFL.
