Darrell Bevell Won't Coach for Lions vs. Bucs Due to COVID-19 Protocols

Detroit Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell will miss Saturday's Week 16 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of COVID-19 protocols.

Wide receivers coach Robert Prince will take over as head coach, and quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan will handle offensive play-calling responsibilities.

Bevell took over the Lions' staff Nov. 28 after the franchise fired Matt Patricia following a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Houston Texans that dropped the team's record to 4-7.

Detroit scored a 34-30 victory over the Chicago Bears in his first game leading the staff. It's since dropped matchups with two of the NFL's title contenders, the Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans, and been eliminated from playoff contention.

Bevell told reporters Detroit requested the game against the Bucs be moved to Sunday, which would have allowed the coaches to clear quarantine, but the NFL denied the request.

"Obviously kind of disappointed with how this information came back to us. But it's kind of the times we're living in right now," he said. "And so it was not unexpected. Have to be ready for everything, be ready to adjust."

Prince, 55, will be operating as a head coach for the first time in his 31-year coaching career, which began as a graduate assistant at Humboldt State in 1989.

He's worked as the Lions' wide receivers coach since 2014 after spending the two previous seasons as the offensive coordinator at Boise State.

While he's not a household name, Prince has gained the respect of Detroit's wideouts with an unmatched ethic and by helping them improve.

"One of the best coaches I've ever had," Danny Amendola told Kyle Meinke of MLive in September.

"He brings the energy," Marvin Jones Jr. said. "Everything we do in terms of running, whether it's after-practice conditioning and all that stuff, I'm sure you've seen it. He runs with us. He's training with us.”

Kenny Golladay, who developed from a 28-catch rookie in 2017 to become the NFL leader in touchdown catches in 2019, told Meinke that Prince was a major reason for his growth.

"Man, to be honest, it's huge," Golladay said. "RP played a huge role in just believing in me from the jump. He wasn't fillin' up my head with smoke coming in as a rookie. ... It was teaching me how to be a professional. How to come into work every day, you know?"

Now Prince is being thrust into the spotlight on short notice to lead the Lions' makeshift coaching staff against a championship contender in Tampa Bay. It's a tough assignment to say the least.

Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on the NFL Network.