Rod Beard

The Detroit News





Allen Park — With the Lions decimated by injuries in the last three games, they found out a lot about their depth and what some of their other players can do when given more snaps and opportunities.

The ability of Golden Tate, who leads the NFC with 800 receiving yards, has been a revelation; another may be the versatility and talent of second-year running back Theo Riddick. While Reggie Bush was out for the past two games because of an ankle injury, Riddick has filled the role well, with a career-best eight receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons.

Riddick's one-handed grab on the final drive in London helped get the Lions in field-goal range and put the game away in the final minute. That play drew some praise from star receiver Calvin Johnson, who will return for Sunday's game against the Dolphins at Ford Field.

"That was clutch, man. I hollered at him," Johnson said. "I'm a big Theo fan, just from what I've seen on the practice field the last few years, and for him to get some play time is big."

Riddick has some of the same speed and flash as Bush, and he could start to split some of the role out of the backfield with him in the second half of the season.

"I think they both have a role. Obviously, they both have certain skills that cross over that are a little redundant and so in some ways they eat at each other's reps," offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said. "But they're both very good players, they're both players that can do things extremely well, and so I think you use them both."

Riddick had five catches for 75 yards against the Vikings and missed the Saints game because of a hamstring issue. But his role seems to be increasing, even with Bush active. Lombardi said the Lions could play them together, possibly with one lined up out wide as a receiver.

"You try to get them both on the field maybe at the same time. Neither of them are real big guys, and so you're always saying, 'Hey, I don't want to get this guy hit 20 times a game.'" Lombardi said. "But if you've got two of them, they both can get hit 10 times a game."

Instead of seeing it as a slight and taking away from his plays, Bush views putting Riddick on the field more as a positive: It makes the Lions more formidable, reduces some of the potential for injury and keeps him fresh, as well.

"I know that having another option helps us stay healthy and helps our team move forward when a guy goes down — that's a great option to have," Bush said. "The injury bug has hit our team unlike any other team I've been a part of."

Putting a third back in the mix also keeps Bush fresher for the grueling second half of the season, where the last few games could make a difference in the playoff push.

"I feel really fresh because I've been dealing with an ankle and at the same time, the rest of my body has been able to heal up and take some rest," Bush said. "I feel fresh and I'm ready to go this Sunday. That definitely does make a big difference."

Where the Lions had a dearth of running backs earlier in the year with injuries to Bush, Riddick and Joique Bell (concussion), the corps has gotten stronger with Riddick's emergence. Having Johnson back also will loosen up the defense and open some of the running lanes. But whether it's Riddick or Bush running the ball won't be a big issue.

"I think that he will have reps, whether he's taking them from Reggie or whoever. I don't know, but there's certain things that he does extremely well that you want to make sure that he keeps doing," Lombardi said. "I think when Reggie goes down, he just kind of gets highlighted. He certainly has had some of those plays called that maybe the ball didn't go to him like you saw in the Atlanta game or the Minnesota game. Like I said, those players do have some skills that cross over, so when one of them is out, the other guy is going to be highlighted a little bit more."

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