One-handed catches, Isaac TeSlaa says with a smile, have "kind of been my thing. I had quite a few at Hillsdale. But obviously those aren’t getting out to SportsCenter."
This one did. TeSlaa's one-handed touchdown snag in the Lions' season-opening loss to the Packers was the best catch in the NFL in Week 1 and just might be the best catch of the season -- and "I'd trade that catch for a win any day of the week," he said. It might even go down as the best catch of TeSlaa's career.
"Hopefully I have some better ones," he said.
TeSlaa's first NFL catch came in the dying minutes of the Lions' ugly loss to the Packers, but was still a sight to behold. On a fade from Jared Goff where TeSlaa said he adjusted a little late to the ball, he flung his right hand into the air as he was falling backward and reeled it in like Odell Beckham Jr. against the Cowboys in 2014. TeSlaa remembers watching Beckham's catch in his basement with his parents -- he was 12 at the time -- and bringing his hands to his head in disbelief.
"My catch was not nearly as good as that," he said. "I won’t put it in that category."
TeSlaa docks himself points for not completely sticking the ball with one hand and needing to his other to secure it, "but the fact that I was able to do that and get my feet down was pretty cool," he said.
Final score: "Pretty good." And a pretty loud statement by the rookie.
"My biggest goal is just to build confidence with this offense, with the play-callers, with Goff, so to be able to make a play like that and show off my skillset and show off that I am reliable, I think it’s something that’s big for me and this offense as a whole," TeSlaa said Thursday.
The catch came on the only target of his NFL debut, on his third and final snap. The Lions were planning a bigger role for TeSlaa last week until he came down with an illness and missed some important practice time. His only full practice was Friday, which not coincidentally happens to be red zone day for the Lions. Now that TeSlaa is getting a full week of work, the Lions plan to use him more on Sunday against the Bears.
"His role will be expanded," offensive coordinator John Morton said. "He will help us."
"For me, said TeSlaa, "it’s just opportunity. The only way you’re going to make plays is if you have the opportunity to go out on the field."
The Lions do not have a shortage of pass-catchers. Amon-Ra St. Brown is a demon wherever he lines up, Williams can stretch the field with the best of them, Kalif Raymond is as quick as they come and tight end Sam LaPorta is one of the top playmakers at his position. But there's always a place on the field for a 6'4 receiver with fast feet and smooth hands.
Asked how he envisions himself in Detroit's offense, TeSlaa acknowledged that "everyone has specific skillsets that they’re super good at, but for me, I feel like I’m a jack of all trades."
"I have straight-line speed, I have quickness -- obviously not like little-guy quickness, but for being my size I feel like I do have quickness -- I can get in and out of my breaks, I can stretch the field, I can go up and make plays, I’m physical. I feel like I’m just a combination," he said. "You can throw me at F, you can throw me at X, you can throw me at Z and you know I’ll be ready to contribute in any way I can."
Ben Johnson used to tell Detroit's receivers, "No block, no rock." Lions wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery still stays it. That's no issue for TeSlaa, who loves mixing it up in the run game. His issue, at least in camp, was more along the lines of, No stock, no rock. As Montgomery explained this week, "At first he was just average as a rookie, in the receivers room, he didn’t keep the snacks in there."
"That wasn’t good, and Saint let him know that wasn’t good, and he fixed it. As the days went on and the snacks that Saint likes and Jamo likes and the rest of the guys like became more available, then they started to maybe talk to him a little bit more," Montgomery said with a grin.
TeSlaa has become so dutiful about keeping the receivers room stocked that he texted the group chat yesterday to ask if anyone needed anything. He got one response: a screenshot of Jolly Rancher chews. TeSlaa "searched high and low at Target," but couldn't find them, "so I ended up just getting a bunch of chips and sweets and then Jamo likes Cup Noodles," he said. "Saint loves his Sweet Tea, so when he doesn’t have his sweet Tea he gets a little cranky."
(TeSlaa, for the record, loves sweets himself, but is trying to be conscious of his diet in his first year as a pro. When he snacks, he's more of a beef jerky and yogurt guy.)
The first person to celebrate with TeSlaa after his touchdown was St. Brown. The officials originally ruled it incomplete, saying TeSlaa was out of bounds, and St. Brown was adamant that they review it. After they overturned the call, St. Brown made sure the Lions secured TeSlaa's touchdown ball on the sidelines. "Just a testament to who he has been for me," said TeSlaa. He's not yet sure where he's going to put it, but he knows he's giving his jersey from the game to his parents.
"You start making plays," said Montgomery, "and you get the respect. This is a making-play business, right? I think there was a lot of respect connected to him for making that play in the game because of everything that he went through last week from his illness. ... This guy has been good. This guy is doing exactly what we want."
The last time TeSlaa played a meaningful game at Ford Field, he led Unity Christian High in Hudsonville, Mich. to the state championship as a wing-T quarterback. The next time will be Sunday at Ford Field against the Bears as an NFL receiver. The Lions jersey with his name and number on the back that he wore to his pre-draft visit in Allen Park is now being worn by fans, which TeSlaa admits is a little surprising just one game into his career.
"I'm sure most of them are from West Michigan. Probably people I know that are wearing them," he said with a laugh.
The 23-year-old expects all the emotions to hit him on Sunday. He still can't quite believe that he's "going to be running out of that tunnel with this team." Asked if he might shed a few years, TeSlaa smiled and said, "Oh, yeah. I'm a cryer, for sure." And a buyer. No snack, no YAC.