–The Lions are still deciding on a replacement for Jamal Agnew as their primary return man after Agnew landed on injured reserve Monday because of a knee injury he suffered against the Green Bay Packers.
Special teams coordinator Joe Marciano said wide receivers TJ Jones and Brandon Powell and running back Ameer Abdullah are among the candidates for the job. Jones has been active every game as the Lions’ No. 4 receiver this year, while the Lions would have to create a spot on their 46-man roster for Powell or Abdullah.
Jones is the only one of the trio with experience fielding both kicks and punts as a pro. Abdullah has not handled punt returns since early in his college career at Nebraska, while Powell, an undrafted rookie out of Florida, was primarily a punt returner in college. Powell had an 80-yard punt return in the preseason.
“I think whoever the next guy is will be productive, I really do,” Marciano said. “It’s the best available as a kickoff returner and the best available as a punt returner, whoever that may be.”
–Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson called himself “the best YAC receiver in the league” earlier this week, a proclamation Lions yards-after-the-catch king Golden Tate took exception with on Wednesday.
“I mean, he’s really good,” Tate said. “He had a really good game last week, especially with yards after catch. And he’s talented. He’s a really, really good player. But you don’t get that title after what, five games, six games? So, yeah. I’ll let the people decide.”
Wilson, who had 136 of his 155 receiving yards after the catch in last week’s win over the Chicago Bears, leads the NFL with 324 YAC this year. Tate ranks fifth on that list (228) in one fewer game, and he leads the NFL in that category since he joined the Lions in 2014.
BY THE NUMBERS: 9 – The Lions have at least two sacks in nine consecutive games dating back to last season, the longest current streak in the NFL. Eleven of the Lions’ 17 sacks have come from linebackers, with Devon Kennard (five), Eli Harold (three), Jarrad Davis (two) and Christian Jones (one) all tallying at least one.