DJ Chark: Lions' Receivers 'Take It on Chin' for Drops

Read more on the burgeoning relationship between Detroit Lions wide receiver DJ Chark and quarterback Jared Goff.

Jared Goff and DJ Chark weren’t always their sharpest in the Lions’ season-opening contest with the Philadelphia Eagles. However, there were signs of the quarterback and wide receiver carrying over the chemistry that they developed during training camp.

Goff ended up going Chark’s way eight times against the Eagles (the second-highest amount of targets for any Detroit receiver Sunday). However, the veteran receiver was able to haul in only four of those throws.

On the first drive of the game for the Lions (which ended up resulting in a touchdown), Goff targeted Chark once. The former Jaguars wideout, however, was unable to record the catch. It was a sign of things to come for Detroit’s receivers group, as it battled a case of the “drops” on Sunday.

“We play the game, our job is to catch the ball. So, when things like that happen, everybody take it on the chin,” Chark said Wednesday, in reference to him and his receiving counterparts dropping multiple catchable passes vs. the Eagles. “For me, that first one, I did it early on. I got it out the way, I suppose. But, it’s something you just don’t want to make constant. But, also, you just got to go to the next play and make it happen. And, definitely one thing I can give credit to the offense (on) is I felt like I kind of let us down on that first drive. But, they rallied, and we rallied and scored a touchdown.”

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Chark didn’t let that drop get the best of him. He did, indeed, move on to the next play, and he finished his Lions debut with 52 receiving yards and a score. Additionally, he was able to put together a string of solid catches on Detroit’s final drive of the contest.

Specifically, he recorded two catches during the scoring drive, including a touchdown grab with former Lions cornerback Darius Slay draped all over him in coverage.

“I feel like that was something that me and JG (Jared Goff) was able to do quite often during camp. It was good to see it translate,” Chark expressed. “Now, it’s time to just make it more smooth, more routine, things like that. But, it’s great to know that he has that confidence in me, to just throw me a ball like that against one of the game’s best corners. And, you know, any time I get that opportunity, I got to make my QB right.”

That late-game touchdown, in which Goff trusted his receiver to make a play, was a sign of the burgeoning relationship between Chark and the seventh-year passer.

“One thing I can say about JG, I kind of have an idea when the ball is in the air, before I turn my head,” Chark commented. “So, that’s a good thing. I kind of just have an idea of his tendencies and things like that. And, we talk about those things, as well. So, it makes me more comfortable, when I can release and kind of expect to have the ball on this play or whatever. So, it’s something that we work on. But, I feel like I have a pretty good relationship with him on and off the field.”