Washington Commanders DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Detroit Lions tight end Zach Ertz has reportedly looked impressive in practice and is picking up everything extremely fast. Despite that, the Lions have decided to not elevate Ertz ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers. Possibly, Ertz suits up if the Lions can make it to the Super Bowl. His presence alone is impactful to this roster as a former Super Bowl champion. That being said, Sam LaPorta figures to see a majority of the snaps at tight end this weekend.

The Detroit Lions signed veteran tight end Zach Ertz to their practice squad earlier this week, and quarterback Jared Goff doesn't see why Ertz can't play in Sunday's NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers. "He's picked it up extremely fast," Goff said. "He really has. Really impressive, not that you didn't expect that from a guy like him who's been around for so long. I've known him here and there throughout the years, and just hearing about how smart he is and how well he can pick up things, he's done it really well this week. It's been good." The 33-year-old has a Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Goff thinks Ertz's presence at practices has already helped the Lions as they try to make their first-ever Super Bowl appearance. With impressive rookie Sam LaPorta being Goff's go-to tight end target, Ertz probably won't see many snaps if he's active on Sunday.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that star wide receiver Deebo Samuel (shoulder) isn't on the team's final injury report on Friday and will play on Sunday versus the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship game. "Full-go today," Shanahan said about Samuel's practice status on Friday. Samuel didn't practice on Wednesday and was upgraded to limited in Thursday's session. The 28-year-old was forced out of the Divisional Round win early against the Green Bay Packers and never returned, but it won't stop him from playing in this weekend's big game. Samuel was looking primed for a big performance last Saturday before his injury. There's some risk because of his shoulder injury, but if he's not limited at all on Sunday, he could go off against a Lions defense that has been very generous to opposing wideouts this season.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (shoulder) is practicing in a limited fashion on Thursday after missing Wednesday's practice due to a shoulder injury. The 27-year-old picked up the ailment in the first quarter of the NFC Divisional-Round win over the Green Bay Packers after catching two passes for 24 yards. It remains to be seen if he'll be able to suit up on Sunday against the Detroit Lions with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, but his return to practice is a great first step in doing so. If he plays, he'll face a Detroit defense that surrendered the third-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers during the regular season. If he can't go, Brandon Aiyuk should be in for a monster game, while Jauan Jennings will likely be elevated to the No. 2 WR role.

While San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (shoulder) was officially listed as a non-participant at Wednesday's practice, he did do some full-field sprints with a football tucked under his arm. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Samuel was "feeling better" on Wednesday after leaving the Divisional Round win over the Green Bay Packers last weekend with a left-shoulder injury and never returning. The good news is Samuel isn't dealing with a fracture, but it might be about pain tolerance for him as he looks to suit up in the NFC Championship this Sunday against the Detroit Lions. If the 28-year-old can rejoin the team for practice the next two days, he'll have a shot at playing this weekend. If Samuel is out or a decoy on Sunday, it will mean more work for the likes of Jauan Jennings, Chris Conley and Ray-Ray McCloud III.