Tight end Brandon Pettigrew is the perfect personification of a half-century of Detroit Lions football. With his size and speed, one would hope he'd finally live up to his potential. But Pettigrew, like the Lions in general, always manages to find a way to disappoint.
How bad is it? Look at these numbers.
Crain's Detroit Business: Pettigrew, who isn't expected to catch as many passes as Johnson, was second on the team with nine drops versus 59 receptions. He was targeted 102 times, making his drop rate 8.8 percent. That's one of the worst rates for a starter who is a regular part of an offense, and the nine drops was 11th worst in the NFL.
Two years ago, he was 21st in the league with seven drops. In 2010, he led all tight ends with eight drops.
Drops are not a problem if a player is racking up touchdowns. Pettigrew is not. The most he's ever caught was five in 2011, when he had 83 receptions for 777 yards.
It doesn't get anymore same old Lions than that.
