Lions to start QB Tim Boyle vs. Browns as Jared Goff recovers from oblique injury
Tim Boyle will get the nod on Sunday for the first time in his NFL career.
Boyle will start for the Detroit Lions on Sunday in their matchup against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, while normal starter Jared Goff is recovering from an oblique injury.
Lions quarterback Tim Boyle will make his first NFL start Sunday in Cleveland against the Browns as Jared Goff continues to recover from an oblique injury he suffered last Sunday in Pittsburgh, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 21, 2021
Boyle, according to Schefter, should get to start next week for their game against the Chicago Bears, too, as “it’s considered unlikely” that Goff will be ready for the Thanksgiving Day game. David Blough will back up Boyle.
"Let me say this about Tim Boyle, he lacks zero confidence, I can tell you that,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said Friday, via The Detroit News. “He's got plenty of confidence. That's a good thing, but that can also, you know what I mean? We'll see where this game goes if he's our guy and see where the weather takes us, see where he takes us. But I know this, we have to be smart with it and let him work into a rhythm."
Goff suffered his oblique injury in their tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, and missed several practices while trying to make it back. Goff, who is in his first season with the Lions after being traded there from the Los Angeles Rams, has thrown for 2,109 yards and eight touchdowns so far, but he hasn't been able to lead Detroit to a win yet.
Detroit is listed as a +12.5 underdog on BetMGM for Sunday's contest in Cleveland.
Boyle went undrafted in 2018, and has spent the past three seasons with the Green Bay Packers. While he’s appeared in 11 games, Boyle has not thrown a pass. He signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Detroit, but broke his thumb during training camp and had to miss eight weeks.
It’s unknown what would happen if Boyle succeeds on Sunday, but “there is a belief” that the Lions’ quarterback situation “is very much in flux,” according to Schefter.
"Good things happen to good people who work hard," Boyle said Friday, via The Detroit News. "I've always told myself that. I feel like I'm a good person. I try to spread kindness, love and do my thing. Yeah, reflecting on my journey, it's been perseverance and self-confidence.
"I'll meditate [Saturday night]. I’ll breathe, talk to my family. I’ll study, and go to bed. Easy. It’s football. I’ve been playing since I was six. It’s an awesome opportunity, but at the end of the day, I can’t psyche myself out."
