In the smoke of the Lions' crash-and-burn collapse in the NFC title game, Josh Reynolds could hardly muster words. When he did, he had to pause to gather his emotions. His eyes were sunken, his shoulders slumped as he stood in front of his locker. Asked what changed for the Lions when a 24-7 second-half lead over the 49ers turned into a crushing 34-31 loss, Reynolds said, "Lack of execution, dropped balls."
That is, Reynolds owned it. He did not run from blame, or hide from the truth. He had two drops in the second half, the first on 4th down in 49ers territory when he dove and failed to reel in a catchable pass, the second on 3rd down two drives later when Jared Goff hit Reynolds in stride over the middle and the typically trustworthy receiver simply put the ball on the ground.
"Sh*t, you don’t want to lose, and losing to go to the Super Bowl makes it that much worse," Reynolds said.
A day later, as the Lions cleaned out their lockers in Allen Park, Reynolds said he still doesn't "feel any better about it, but you live and you learn. Can’t sulk on it too long." Asked again about the team's second-half spiral, he said, "I definitely didn't help the part."
"Sh*t happens, man," Reynolds said. "I know what kind of player I am. Didn’t want to drop them, sh*t happens. Do I want those back? Hell, of course. But I can’t, and I just gotta work this offseason and be prepared for the moment when it comes."
It would be a tough way for Reynolds' time with the Lions to end. He'll be a free agent this offseason, but he'd like to return. And he said the Lions have told him "they want me back," per the Free Press. The seven-year vet has been one of Goff's favorite receivers and one of Detroit's unsung heroes on offense since he arrived midway through the 2021 season.
Reynolds was third on the team this season in catches (40), yards (608) and touchdowns (5) and first in yards per catch (15.2). He added eight catches for 132 yards and a touchdown in the playoffs. That sort of production warrants a raise from his two-year, $6 million contract, whether he gets it in Detroit or elsewhere.
For what it's worth, Reynolds is already talking like he'll be back. He said that "it’s going to be harder next year" for the Lions to repeat this year's success "because now we’re not going to be too much of the underdogs. People know what we’re coming with now, so it’s going to be a little bit tougher. And I think the guys are prepared for it."
As for moving past his errors in the biggest game of the season, Reynolds said he still has "that nasty taste in your mouth, but I’m not gonna let it ruin my offseason."
"I think it’s something you learn throughout the years, playing this game, because if you’re sitting here sulking on the bad, it’s hard to have good come out of it," Reynolds said. "Ultimately, you gotta learn from it, take it on the chin and move on."