ATLANTA -- The Detroit Lions are going to spend another Sunday afternoon Netflix and chilling.
The club announced on Sunday morning that running back Craig Reynolds will dress for a third straight game on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. He’ll back up Jamaal Williams, who is making his return from a COVID infection that sidelined him the last two weeks.
With D’Andre Swift battling a shoulder injury, the Lions elevated Reynolds from their practice squad to help them get through games against Denver and Arizona. Then Reynolds did a whole lot more than that, exploding for 195 rushing yards the last two weeks, a league high over that stretch. He also broke eight tackles and was ranked as the No. 1 running back in the league according to ProFootballFocus.
Not bad for a guy they call “Netflix” because that’s what he was doing -- watching Netflix on his couch -- when Detroit needed him while facing a roster crunch back in training camp. Reynolds signed with the club in August, suited up in a preseason game a day later -- without so much as practicing with the team -- and then scored the club’s only touchdown against the Colts.
Reynolds wound up on the practice squad, finally was called up two weeks ago because of COVID and injuries, then racked up more yards on the ground than every other running back in the league since. And that has won him a rotation job in Atlanta, even with the return of Williams. Reynolds will play over rookie seventh-round pick Jermar Jefferson, who is not dressing against the Falcons.
D’Andre Swift also won’t dress for the game due to a shoulder injury he suffered on Thanksgiving against Chicago. He’s missing his fourth straight game with the injury, but did practice last week, which suggests he could still return this season. Detroit wraps up the year with a game in Seattle next week, before returning home for the finale against the Green Bay Packers.
For now, the rest of the inactives in Atlanta: Outside linebacker Julian Okwara, linebacker Josh Woods and safety Jalen Elliott.
Quarterback Jared Goff also won’t play because of a COVID infection. Tim Boyle will make his second NFL start in his place, and he’s hoping for better results than the first, when he threw for just 77 yards in a 13-10 loss against Cleveland and finished with the worst passer rating by a Lions starting quarterback since Drew Stanton in 2009.
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