The Detroit Lions made two changes to their roster on Saturday afternoon, just before their game against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17.

The back end of Detroit’s team has changed since senior Carlton Davis broke his jaw and had to go on injured reserve.

Along with Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson, and Emmanuel Moseley, cornerback Morice Norris was added to the active list to give the team more depth.Norris is a free agent from Fresno State who wasn’t picked in the draft. He stood out early in training camp and has stayed on the team’s practice squad.

Norris joins the team before they play the San Francisco 49ers again in the NFC Championship. Deshea Townsend, the defensive backs coach, said that the team wasn’t putting more focus on this game than any other, even though the stakes were higher.

“I feel like this is the most important game because the next one is so important.” That’s always how we think. The guys really understand from Dan that the next game is the most important, whether they win, lose, or tie.

Kwon Alexander is back on the team’s practice squad. He played in two games for Detroit after being signed off of the Broncos’ practice in late November.He was probably waived earlier in the week to make room for players who were coming back from injured reserve.

Dan Campbell talked about what Alexander brought to the team while he was on the active squad. Campbell thinks the team will need Alexander again later this year.

During the Lions’ Week 18 victory against the Vikings, Sam LaPorta broke an NFL record

Sam LaPorta of the Lions shattered a Packers franchise record.

The Detroit Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 on Sunday night, breaking personal franchise records.The Lions get home field advantage for the first time in franchise history. Sam LaPorta, the team’s top tight end, also achieved a historic milestone.

In just two years, the second-year tight end has surpassed former Green Bay Packers standout Keith Jackson’s record of 144 career receptions. The Lions PR team validated LaPorta’s TE record on X. LaPorta’s catches include his postseason totals from last year.

LaPorta caught seven receptions on all seven of his targets inside Ford Field, with both the NFC North championship and the No. 1 seed at stake. He had 63 receiving yards as the Lions recorded their eighth game of scoring 30 points or more. He blasted the Vikings with this 17-yard grab, his longest of the game.

Big-time grab for a pickup of 17 from @samlaporta#MINvsDET | 📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/8EJusNI5NI

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 6, 2025

LaPorta finished the regular season with 60 catches, 726 yards, and seven touchdowns. He is also making his second appearance in the playoffs. He is not, however, the first Lions player to reach that milestone.

Sam LaPorta joins previous Lions stars in achieving this postseason accomplishment.

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

When the Lions drafted LaPorta, they hoped to break their six-season playoff drought. He has subsequently developed as one of the league’s top young tight ends.

In addition to breaking Jackson’s record, LaPorta joined one past Lions standout in accomplishing this unusual franchise playoff achievement. He joined Johnnie Morton as the first Lions offensive weapon to reach the postseason in his first two years of career.

In 1994 and 1995, the former first-round wide out from USC made the playoffs in the Motor City. Morton arrived in Detroit as the 21st overall choice in the 1994 draft. He scored one touchdown in limited action his rookie year. The Lions ended 9-7 overall before losing 16-12 to the rival Packers in the first round.

Morton then returned to lead a seven-game victory streak to end 1995. He finished fourth in receptions with 44 and third in touchdown catches with eight. However, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Detroit Lions 58-37 in the NFC Wild Card round.

LaPorta has established himself as the Lions’ sophomore NFL standout. Only this time, he is leading the conference’s top overall seed into the playoffs. LaPorta and the Lions now have some time off before playing the NFC’s lowest remaining seed during the weekend of January 18.

Lorenzo J. Reyna has joined ClutchPoints as Associate Editor of NFL & NCAA Football. He has previous expertise in both worlds, having worked at Pro Football Network and Heavy, as well as writing for 247 Sports. His Twitter/X username is @LJ_Reyna, and his Instagram account is @lj_zo_rey.