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As Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler have dropped passes this season, there have been calls for rookie tight end Joseph Fauria to get more playing time. The tall undrafted free agent out of UCLA has gotten several looks in the red zone, and he already has 2 touchdowns despite catching only 4 total passes. However, fans want to see him more than just in the red zone, and they may finally get their wish this week.
Linehan said Joseph Fauria's role will increase this week and he'll be on the field much more than he has been.
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) October 10, 2013
The reason for Fauria's increased role likely revolves around Scheffler's latest concussion. He didn't start experiencing symptoms of a concussion until Tuesday, and this is his third one since joining the Detroit Lions. As of right now, it seems unlikely that Scheffler will play on Sunday, opening the door for more Fauria.
It also appears that Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is planning to use wide receiver Ryan Broyles more often this week. Broyles has only caught 5 passes for 61 yards in 3 games this season, and his involvement in the offense has been much less than originally expected. The Lions have been taking things slowly with his return from another torn ACL, and Linehan said on Thursday that it was all by design.
Linehan said the #Lions hadn't planned on using WR Ryan Broyles in September, but "I think he's ready for a full load now."
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) October 10, 2013
Also expect to see more of Kevin Ogletree this week now that he's had more time to learn the Lions' playbook.