The Detroit Lions pulled it all together in the final 20 seconds to best the St. Louis Rams in their opener on Sunday, taking a 27-23 home victory. One player in particular wasn't on the field for that drive, however: wide receiver Titus Young. According to Pro Football Talk (via the Detroit News), head coach Jim Schwartz benched Young following an unnecessary roughness penalty in which Young headbutted Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
"He didn't do a smart thing," Schwartz said of Young. "We knew what was going to happen in some situations. He and a couple of guys [Jenkins and Rams defensive back Cortland Finnegan] were going back and forth, and the whole thing was right in front of me. It looked like he was going to do the right thing and walk away, but at the last second he turned and made a really dumb decision."
The incident occurred near the end of the first half, directly after a pass from Matthew Stafford was intercepted by Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan for a touchdown. Young was assessed a 15-yard penalty on the play and was gone for the remainder of the game. He finished with one reception for 14 yards and one carry for 11 yards.
This isn't the first time Young has done something like this. He was penalized for a personal foul against the New Orleans Saints in 2011, and was in a fight during training camp with teammate Louis Delmas. It's a worrying trend for Young, who has been warned on multiple occasions. It's unlikely he faces further disciplinary action at this point, but if he makes another mistake, he could be looking at a significantly longer benching and possibly a suspension.
Head over to Pride of Detroit for more Lions coverage and Week 1 reaction, and be sure to check out SB Nation's NFL hub for more news and analysis from around the league.