Blue and Gold Illustrated

February 2023

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com FEBRUARY 2023 43 IRISH IN THE PROS BY TODD D. BURLAGE A lways his own harshest critic, for- mer Notre Dame turned Detroit Li- ons tight end Brock Wright still wasn't satisfied with his performance Dec. 18, even after he scored the game-winning touchdown in a 20-17 win over the New York Jets. Trailing the Jets 17-13 with less than two minutes remaining in the game, the Detroit coaches pulled some trickery on a fourth-and-inches play, called Wright's number, and he responded with a 51-yard touchdown catch that secured the three-point victory. When asked about the play after the game, Wright was more interested in a self-critique than a self-celebration. Earlier in this do-or-die possession, Wright dropped his first targeted pass of the game, a miscue he wasn't ready to dismiss. "Didn't have my best game," Wright told reporters afterward. "A lot of plays I want back. [I] was just telling myself, 'Finish.'" And finish he did. Had Wright and the Lions not con- verted the fourth-down play that Wright scored on, the game was over. Detroit loses. Instead, Lions quarter- back Jared Goff waited for Wright to sell himself as a short-yardage blocker off play action, leak out, catch a short pass and race nearly untouched to the end zone. "[Wright] is a lot faster than people know," Goff said. "I think he ran like a 4.6 40 or something." The longest reception of Wright's NFL career also turned out to be the longest touchdown reception by a Lions tight end since David Sloan scored on a 74-yard catch in 1999. And while he started seeing increased targets this season after Lions No. 1 tight end T.J. Hockenson was traded to the Vikings Nov. 1, Wright still feels he has much to prove. And his teammates recognize it. After his touchdown versus the Jets, a special moment was caught on tele- vision camera when teammate Justin Jackson grabbed Wright and shouted at him twice, "We believe in you." Left undrafted after a modest statisti- cal career at Notre Dame — 7 catches for 78 yards and 1 touchdown in 48 games — Wright, a terrific run blocker, was signed to the Lions practice squad as a free agent in 2021. He graduated to the Lions' active roster in November 2021 and finished last season with 12 recep- tions for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns in 10 games. Through Week 17 this season, the 24-year-old native of Cyprus, Texas, had 18 catches for 216 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wright doubled his TD total with a pair of short scoring recep- tions in a 41-10 win over the Bears Jan. 1. In addition to his budding football career in Detroit, Wright also is active in his new community as well. In December, he joined teammates Jason Cabinda, Jamaal Williams and Tom Kennedy in hosting a field trip to an area theater to reward inner-city De- troit students for good grades, behavior and attendance with a private showing of the movie "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." ✦ Wright scored the winning touchdown in Detroit's 20-17 victory over the New York Jets Dec. 18. PHOTO BY JEFF NGUYEN/DETROIT LIONS Brock Wright Fitting In, Winning Games With The Lions TWO FORMER IRISH PLAYERS EARN PRO BOWL HONORS Former Notre Dame offensive linemen Zack Martin and Quenton Nelson have played a combined 14 NFL seasons, the former entirely with the Dallas Cowboys and the latter with the Indianapolis Colts. They have now made 13 total Pro Bowls. Martin and Nelson were named to the NFC and AFC rosters for the 2023 Pro Bowl Games. This is the second straight selection and eighth overall for Martin, who has been the Cowboys' starting right guard since 2014. Nelson has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons as the Colts' left guard. Martin did not allow a sack in his first 15 starts this year and had surrendered just 16 pressures. He had a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 72.5 and a 79.5 pass-blocking grade. His career Pro Bowl selections now outnumber his career holding penalty count (seven). Nelson allowed 4 sacks and 27 pressures in his first 15 starts. Both are single-season highs for him. He gave up 4 sacks in his first four seasons combined. His 68.6 PFF overall grade would be a career best if it holds. His 74.5 pass-blocking grade, though, is up from 62.0 last year. The Pro Bowl Games are replacing the traditional Pro Bowl format this year. They will include a week of skills competitions and end with a flag football game Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. ET. Peyton and Eli Man ning will coach the flag football teams. — Patrick Engel

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