We pointed out in Saturday’s one-liners that the Lions are being cautious when it comes to returning tailback Kevin Smith to the lineup.
Smith, who tore an ACL last December, possibly disagrees with the approach.
“I mean, no comment,” Smith told Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “I’m not trying to even go there. I’m not trying to cause any controversy. Like I said, I feel like I’m ready to play. But, again, that might be overconfident. That just might be me itching to get out there. That might be whatever. The people who assess how I play is the ones who make the decision, and until they feel like I’m really ready to go out there and I can help the team, I’m going to be right here.”
Coach Jim Schwartz says that Smith will play when he’s 100 percent. Given that Smith isn’t on the injury report, he presumably is 100 percent. Otherwise, Smith would be on the injury report. (In Washington, he’d at a minimum be “questionable”.) But with Jahvid Best making a huge impact right out of the gates, the Lions can afford to wait.
That said, they shouldn’t wait too long. When it comes to running backs, the more the merrier. With two guys moving the chains, both tend to stay healthy longer. And given Best’s history of concussions, it could be only a matter of time before he misses some time.
Smith was one of the only bright spots in the Lions’ 0-16 season of 2008. (We forgot about Calvin Johnson.) A rookie that year, Smith rushed for 976 yards and eight touchdowns; he added 286 yards on 39 receptions.