Jared Goff and Amani Oruwariye Unlikely to Play against Falcons

The Detroit Lions will likely be without their starting quarterback and cornerback against the Atlanta Falcons.

It could be Tim Boyle time in Detroit again. 

As the Lions get ready to depart team headquarters in Allen Park for their Week 15 game against the Atlanta Falcons, starting quarterback Jared Goff remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list after testing positive for COVID earlier in the week.

Head coach Dan Campbell said Friday it's “highly unlikely” Goff starts under center on Sunday. Should this hold true, it would give Boyle his second career start.

The third-year pro made his first start in Week 11 against Cleveland when Goff was out with an oblique injury. In that game, Boyle was 15-for-23 for 77 yards and two interceptions in a 13-10 loss.

The Lions have been hit hard by a wave of COVID, with as many as nine players having been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list at one time. As some of these players start to return, injuries have continued to sting the team.

Cornerback Amani Oruwariye will also likely miss this Sunday's game against the Falcons, after suffering a thumb injury. Campbell said Friday that the cornerback will undergo more medical testing to determine whether or not he’ll need surgery to address bone and ligament issues. 

Oruwariye has been solid in Detroit’s secondary, intercepting six passes in 2021. Last week, against Arizona, he made a diving interception, and returned it 50 yards deep into Cardinals territory to set up a touchdown.

Finishing the 2021 season strong

On Friday, Campbell made an appearance on NFL Network's popular morning program "Good Morning Football." 

On the show, the Lions head coach spoke on the growth of his team during his first year as head coach. He pointed out the importance of building the base of the organization in year one.

“I do, I do believe that,” Campbell said. “We’ve talked about all year that this, for us, needs to be about building a foundation. We’re concrete right now, and there’s nothing glorious about it. It’s not always going to be fun. It’s hard work.”

Campbell added that notching victories in two of the team's last three games is indicative of the fact that his team has begun to build momentum heading into the offseason.

“There’s gonna be a lot of blood, sweat and tears in it,” Campbell said. “But, you want to see it start to pay dividends, and I feel like we’re starting to get there now.”

He also pointed out the importance of the team’s 30-12 win over Arizona last week. By securing a victory over one of the NFC’s top teams, the Lions built some confidence, while also setting a standard for what this team can be in the future.

“Of course, it felt pretty good,” Campbell said. “The guys, we told them after the game, the closest thing to playing is when you watch your kids at a competitive level play and then when you’re a coach at this level, to be able to give these guys a plan that you believe will work and watch them bring it to life. They did that, and their effort, intensity and focus has been that way all year.”

Debating Christmas movies

Campbell was feeling the holiday spirit during his Christmas Eve press conference. During both his "Good Morning Football" interview and his media session with local reporters, he fielded several questions related to the holidays.

He also gave insight as to what his favorite movies are for this time of year.

When asked of his favorite Christmas film, he responded with "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation." This comedy, starring Chevy Chase, is a popular choice, and has an 86 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, a movie review site.

A popular debate around the holidays is whether or not "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie. Campbell said he believes it is and watches it every year around the holidays.