Roger McCreary is in line for a larger workload in Week 10, and that matters for the Detroit Lions in more ways than one. With D.J. Reed set to miss a second straight game because of a hip injury, McCreary is expected to play a significant role against the New England Patriots in Germany.
The timing is notable because cornerback was already a top Lions need before the trade deadline, and Detroit did not make a move at the position. That leaves McCreary as a key part of the current answer, even though his coverage numbers this season have been below par compared with other qualifying cornerbacks.
How McCreary has graded in coverage
McCreary entered Week 10 with a 53.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranked No. 66 out of 104 cornerbacks. Among 40 slot cornerbacks, he was 75th in coverage grade, a reminder that the production has not matched the expected workload.
Still, there have been some positives. McCreary has allowed the third-best catch rate among those qualifiers, giving up completions on 53.6 percent of targets. He also played 65 slot coverage snaps, which helps explain why Detroit may trust him with more responsibility when Reed is unavailable.
Why the matchup matters
The Lions are expected to lean on McCreary more heavily against New England, and the DeMario Douglas and Roger McCreary matchup was highlighted as one to target in fantasy football. That kind of usage will be worth watching closely, especially if McCreary leaves Germany having logged the most snaps among Detroit cornerbacks in the game.
For the Lions, the bigger picture is simple: the cornerback room needed help before the deadline, and now the team has to manage that spot with the players already on hand. McCreary may not bring elite coverage grades, but his role in Week 10 suggests Detroit will need him to help stabilize the position until Reed returns.
