How ‘voodoo magic’ helped Sam LaPorta return from knee injury, score Lions TD vs. Rams
For additional support in the trenches, offensive linemen wear braces similar to the one Sam LaPorta wore on his left knee. LaPorta is likely to wear the brace for the duration of the NFL playoffs.
However, it was quite miraculous that a rookie from the Detroit Lions was on the field the entire day.In the victory over the Minnesota Vikings last week, LaPorta overextended his knee, resulting in a painful bone bruise that prevented him from using the practice field for the majority of the week.
In Sunday’s 24-23 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, he participated in 80% of the offensive plays for the Lions, caught three catches for 14 yards, and scored a game-winning 2-yard touchdown on fourth down in the second quarter.
Coach Dan Campbell of the Lions commented, It’s a compliment to our training team.” It was kind of 24-hour care there. I cannot fully explain the voodoo magic they performed on him, but it was crucial. And just getting rid of the puffiness, making it feel better, and restoring his trust in it.
DAVE BIRKETT: Dan Campbell trusted Jared Goff to perform when the season was on the line, and he did.
Although Campbell expressed optimism on LaPorta’s prospects of playing by mid-last week, the rookie tight end still needed to learn to live with the discomfort.
The Lions adjusted their offensive game plan on Sunday to accommodate for LaPorta’s injury, even though he participated fully in Friday’s session and put in some additional work on the sidelines on Thursday.
On the Lions’ opening play from scrimmage, LaPorta made the crucial pulling block that set up David Montgomery for a 10-yard run to the right. Campbell stated that the team added a few more to the passing game because they weren’t sure they would have LaPorta for the full play.
Amon-Ra St. Brown finished with a team-high seven catches, nine targets, and 110 yards. Josh Reynolds contributed significantly to the passing attack in the first quarter with five catches and 80 yards.
TAKING A STAND: The Lions defense will move on because they reserved their finest half for the playoffs.
By Wednesday, Campbell claimed, you could tell he was confident in his ability to handle the situation and that it was getting better every day. So, all those guys deserve recognition, and Sam especially. He is, after all, tough. Because of his toughness, he wasn’t going to let it stop him.
On the first drive of the game, LaPorta caught his first ball for eight yards. With 7:12 remaining in the first half, he scored a 2-yard touchdown to give the Lions a 21-10 lead.
On his touchdown, LaPorta was mismatched by offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who flexed him out of the Lions’ jumbo package into a bunch formation where he drew a one-on-one with Rams outside linebacker Michael Hoecht.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff remarked, “That dude’s a stud, and I told him that all week.” And he engaged in combat. I’m not sure how many people are aware of how much pain he endured during the week in order to prepare for that game.
It requires a great deal of bravery, power, and guts. He also assisted us today. He did, in fact. He is also an outstanding player.
