Sam LaPorta Is Returning To Form At The Exact Right Time
Credit: Junfu Han via Imagn Images
Only three rookies were named as All-Pros in the 2023 season. The first two were LA Rams receiver Puka Nacua and LA Chargers punt returner Derius Davis, both of whom were named Second Team All-Pros.
The third was Sam LaPorta, who went from the second round of the draft to join Nacua and Davis on the Second Team after his incredible debut for the Detroit Lions.
SAM LAPORTA IS A SECOND TEAM ALL PRO #OnePride pic.twitter.com/KuBhgu5uIP
— SuperHawkeyeFan (@superhawkeyefan) January 12, 2024
LaPorta was a cheat code in his first season in the NFL. He came from an Iowa Hawkeyes that produces tight ends like Stephen A. Smith produces questionable takes. Among the brotherhood of tight ends are San Francisco’s George Kittle, Seattle’s Noah Fant, and most recently, Cincinnati’s Erick All Jr. LaPorta was widely expected to continue that trend and be one of the best tight ends, if not the best tight end, in the league this season, ultimately offsetting Detroit’s loss of fellow Hawkeye T.J. Hockenson. Unfortunately, the first half of the season was a disappointment for LaPorta, as he never accumulated more than six targets or 53 yards in a game.
However, LaPorta has caught fire as of late, with 22 catches and 272 yards through the month of December. Last night, he notched a touchdown to tie the game in the third quarter — his second-straight game with a score — to help the Lions dispatch the San Fransisco 49ers on Monday Night.
Sam LaPorta just snagged TD number 7 on the season! 🔥
pic.twitter.com/umQFhPMt2h— LionsFanReport (@lionsfanreport) December 31, 2024
Lions fans are more than familiar with the first touchdown he had in this streak.
The Jared Goff and Jahmyr Gibbs coordinated trip on the LaPorta TD play is called “stumble bum” and it WAS a designed trip, inspired by a play Ben Johnson saw of Jordan Love actually dropping the snap vs Chicago and pulling off a big pass.
— Kalyn Kahler (@kalynkahler) December 22, 2024
“Ben’s as creative as they come,” LaPorta said after the Bears game in which he scored that trick play touchdown. “It was great to go out there and execute that. All 10 other guys executed it, so it was cool to get that one off the call-sheet and come up with a touchdown there.”
LaPorta will be a big part of the Lions’ upcoming playoff run, where their offense will have to engage in consistent track meets to survive. This uptick in production is turbo-boosting an offense that has so many weapons that can burst out for a major play at any time. While the defense has struggled in recent weeks as they’ve dealt with numerous injuries, the offense has, at least for the moment, been able to out-score their health problems. LaPorta’s return to form will allow him to be another crucial cog in Ben Johnson’s high-flying offense en route to not only a Lions’ potential first-ever appearance in the you-know-what, but for Johnson to perhaps be this upcoming offseason’s hottest head coaching candidate.
In the Lions’ upcoming Week 18 matchup with Minnesota, which is largely expected to be another track meet, LaPorta may struggle to find paydirt, as the Vikings have only allowed three touchdowns to the tight end position all season. However, the Vikings have been middle-of-the-road in terms of yards allowed to tight ends, surrendering 81 receptions and 817 yards to the position.
Though, LaPorta didn’t get the best of Minnesota the first time around. He’ll look to improve on his Week 7 performance at Minnesota, in which he merely logged one single reception, albeit for 25 yards. But now that LaPorta has bounced back, he’ll no doubt be heavily leaned on by Jared Goff in the biggest game of the year.
No one needs to remind Lions fans what’s at stake this Sunday, but let’s lay it out, anyway. The winner of the upcoming game will be the NFC’s No. 1 seed and secure home-field advantage, and the loser will be playing a road Wild Card playoff game (in all likelihood) at Tampa Bay. It would be a tough situation for the Lions, as the Bucs’ strong passing attack plays right into the weakness of the depleted Lions’ defense.
A win, on the other hand, would give the injured players, in addition to the team as a whole, an opportunity to catch their breath right before a crucial playoff run. LaPorta is a big part of the you-know-what hopes of the Lions, and his rebound from his meager first half of the season will be essential for Detroit to continue playing they have played of late.
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