DETROIT – He saw it was coming, the San Francisco safety cutting down on him, and he knew that meant Matthew Stafford might throw the ball his way.
So TJ Jones prepared for it. Settled in, jumped up, caught it in double coverage. Got hit, lost his breath; hung on to the ball; scored his first NFL touchdown.
“It happened fast,” Jones said. “I just, when I saw it coming my way, there was no way I was going to let it go.”
The 29-yard touchdown was part of a continued ascent for Jones, who has taken advantage of increased snaps over the last month of the Detroit Lions season. He missed all of his rookie season in 2014 dealing with nerve issues in his hand and arm following offseason surgery.
Then he came back this season and fought his way onto the roster with a strong preseason and skills as a punt and kick returner. He didn’t get much work in the offense, though, until Lance Moore was injured in Week 12.
He came onto the field – and now, the Lions have not found a reason to take him off. He has replaced Corey Fuller as Detroit’s No. 4 receiver and has played 10-plus snaps in the last four games. He also has started to show that he should have more of a role – perhaps as the team’s No. 3 or No. 4 receiver – in 2016.
“He’s a playmaker, man,” Lions receiver Calvin Johnson said. “When he gets the ball in his hands, whether it’s catching punts, we saw it in the preseason and earlier this season, he can make plays. He can play the ball when it’s in the air.
“I’ve seen him in practice and I’m looking forward to seeing him on the field a little bit more.”
He’s one of a handful of younger players who have started to show enough late in 2015 that they may have a role in 2016 – no matter who is coaching the Lions.
DE Devin Taylor: Facemask call against Green Bay aside, things have come together for Taylor in his third year. He has 12 tackles and 3.5 sacks over his last five games and has been a larger presence in opposing backfields. Those numbers – in five games – are close to matching what he was able to do in each of his first two seasons in the league. With a potential hole opening opposite Ezekiel Ansah at defensive end (Darryl Tapp and Jason Jones are free agents), Taylor could have a larger role next season.
LB Brandon Copeland: The Lions are going to need linebackers next season, even when they get DeAndre Levy back. Copeland did well in his first real opportunity Sunday against San Francisco with four tackles. In around 20 fewer snaps, he has two more tackles than Kyle Van Noy, the team’s second-round pick in 2014. Already one of Detroit’s better special teams players, he could become a rotational linebacker with Travis Lewis and Tahir Whitehead set to be free agents and Stephen Tulloch’s future with the Lions in question.
CB Quandre Diggs: He took over the nickel role full-time when Josh Wilson was put on injured reserve, and he essentially has secured the position for the future. His size will likely limit him from being an outside cornerback, but he has four pass breakups (and 14 tackles) over the past four weeks. He has a definite future with Detroit, no matter the coaching staff.
S Isa Abdul-Quddus: It’s strange to put a starter on here, but Abdul-Quddus is heading toward free agency and might be the more important players for the Lions to re-sign. He has shown he can be a valuable safety (as a starter or No. 3 safety) and is a good special teams player as well. If there’s a new coaching staff, they’ll need to figure out how they value him and if it isn’t as a starter, he might want to seek more money on the open market. But the 26-year-old has shown over the second half of this season he can be a player in the league.
