DETROIT—Lions coach Jim Schwartz has defended his team’s lack of a running game at times this year by saying they use the short pass as an extension of the run. But in the three games Jahvid Best has missed with a concussion, even that’s dried up.
At the time of his injury, Best ranked third on the team with 27 catches for 287 yards. Without Best in the lineup, the Lions have completed just seven passes to running backs for 41 yards—less production receiving than Best had in four games by himself this year.
“I don’t want to say (Best being out has) hurt our offense,” Schwartz said Wednesday. “I mean, we have a lot of other playmakers and those guys can make plays. Maybe the focus is a little bit different, but there’s plenty of plays. Our run efficiency has gone up also and those guys have all carried the ball well and got productive yards in the run game.”
Fill-in running back Maurice Morris is averaging 4.8 yards a carry as starter, slightly more than Best’s 4.6 average, but the Lions showed their lack of faith in him in last Sunday’s loss to the Bears when they attempted 28 passes in the first half despite extremely windy conditions and a quarterback playing with a fractured right index finger.
With little production from their backfield, the rest of the Lions' offense has bogged down. Matthew Stafford’s favorite outlet, tight end Brandon Pettigrew, has just 77 yards receiving in the last three games, and with little threat of a running game defenses are getting ample pressure on Stafford.
Best still doesn’t have a timetable for his return. He didn’t practice Wednesday and hasn’t been cleared to resume physical activity, but did watch the team’s workout for the first time since suffering his second concussion of the year Oct. 16 against the 49ers.
Stafford said X-rays showed his finger is healing properly, but he still plans to wear gloves again Sunday and most likely in next week’s Thanksgiving game against the Packers to help him better grip the ball.
Notes: The Lions are dealing with an assortment of injuries on their defensive line. Kyle Vanden Bosch took his usual maintenance day off Wednesday, and backup defensive ends Willie Young (ankle) and Lawrence Jackson (thigh) did not practice. Both Young and Jackson said they should be fine for Sunday’s game against the Panthers and Cam Newton, who’s been sacked three or more times in five of nine games this year. ... The Lions released Robert Malone and signed Ben Graham to handle punting duties in case Ryan Donahue can’t go Sunday. Donahue is still dealing with a strained quad in his kicking leg.
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