Lions QB Tim Boyle Reveals What Improvement He Still Needs to Make

Tim Boyle's first start in the National Football League did not go as planned.

Against the Cleveland Browns, the 27-year-old backup quarterback struggled to execute the Lions' offense, and finished with a quarterback rating of 34.1.

Recall, Boyle had only been back practicing for a week when he was thrust into duty. After a subpar preseason, Boyle missed the next 11 weeks, following thumb surgery.

On the road and dealing with inclement weather in Cleveland, Boyle threw for only 77 yards, and the Browns' defense intercepted him twice in a 13-10 loss.

In the weeks since he has returned, the veteran backup has expressed much more comfort with the offense and the gameplans being put together weekly by the coaching staff.

Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Boyle addressed what area of his game that he still needs to improve.

“I think sticking in the pocket a little bit longer," Boyle said. "There were a few situations where it felt like I could have hung in there a little bit more and delivered the ball and progress a little bit. And, just kind of settling into the two-minute and understanding the situation and kind of getting to good plays that I like and making sure that we’re getting completions, we’re trying to put ourselves in a position to get points. I think moving forward, I have a few other things. It’s run checks. It’s mixing up cadence. There are just so many things that I’ve jotted down through that start that I kind of revisit and (I'm) going to revisit moving forward.”

Without Jared Goff, who tested positive for the coronavirus, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell still expects Boyle to lead the offense effectively.

With improved communication and fundamentals, Detroit's first-year head coach is hoping Boyle and the offense can quickly get into rhythm, especially due to the fact the game is on the road against the Falcons.

"I expect to get a guy who is going to be able to function in our offense. He’ll be able to move the ball. He’ll be a general for us out there. He’s going to get us in the right play. He’ll make the right decision. That’s what I expect," Campbell said. "I feel very confident in that. The communication will be really good. He’ll be able to get those guys going in the right direction, and then we’ll see from there. It’s just about getting him in a rhythm after that.”