The Lions are a Tim Patrick resurgence away from being the best team in the NFL, no we're not kidding

The Detroit Lions made a big mistake when they didn't grab a receiver to replace Josh Reynolds this offseason. They waited until the very last minute to get a guy, but that guy might actually work out.

The Lions signed Tim Patrick after the Denver Broncos cut him after camp. The team also signed Allen Robinson and brought back Donovan Peoples-Jones too, but Patrick was always expected to be the lead guy for that X receiver spot.

On Sunday he got a chance to make his debut and while it was limited, he only played 00 snaps, he made the most of them with two catches on three targets. The big one was a 10-yard catch that got the Lions a first down. He did make another really good catch on the sideline, but he was unable to get both feet inbounds.

It was a good showing. That's all he needed to do when he got the chance. Show that you can help out. Now the Lions need to press their luck with him a bit more going forward.

As we discussed earlier on Monday, the NFL might have figured out Ben Johnson and the Lions in the red zone. This is where having an extra target, specifically one that can high point the ball, can be incredibly helpful. At 6-foot-4, Patrick is tall enough and can jump high enough to go up and get it in traffic and over defenders.

Having that guy can unlock the offense and give it the extra juice it really needs. We're talking about the best team in the NFL if they just fix the red zone woes. That's it. The defense is already showing to be nearing the top the league and if they keep getting better, it's going to be scary. Fix the red zone thing and it's on.

Related: Lions Week 2 Pro Football Focus grades highs and lows, Brian Branch has a big bounce back game