Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions may have walked away from Saturday’s tilt with a loss, but it was nonetheless an encouraging performance for multiple players. After being demolished by the Los Angeles Chargers in the Hall of Fame game and a lackluster, injury-shortened victory against the Atlanta Falcons, it was a more balanced affair against the Miami Dolphins. Both teams had their share of successes and failure, and it was ultimately a more entertaining game than previous preseason outings.
While entertainment value might count for viewers, what truly matters to the Lions staff is who performed well and who did not. As Week 1 approaches, games like these will be pivotal to deciding the final few roster spots. For a team as talented as the Lions, that 53-man roster is deeper than most.
Which of those names walked away from this game as a winner or a loser?
This might be the last time I consider TeSlaa a winner because these types of preseason performances are becoming the norm. The third-round rookie has been phenomenal through three preseason games, arguably the best Detroit Lion on either side of the ball. TeSlaa notched four catches for 41 yards and one touchdown on a spectacular red zone grab:
On a weekly basis, TeSlaa looks like a man amongst boys, either winning with separation or winning with physicality. All of this dominance is coming from a rookie that was viewed as a long-term project. Instead, he looks incredibly polished and game-day ready. The question is no longer if TeSlaa sees the field as a rookie. Now, there is serious discussion about how quickly he dethrones Tim Patrick as WR3 in the lineup. If he can maintain this chemistry with Jared Goff at quarterback, that could be sooner than anticipated.
The race for WR6 is heating up. Meeks was the primary beneficiary of Dominic Lovett’s absence last week against the Atlanta Falcons, putting up 78 receiving yards on three catches, complete with a touchdown grab. With Lovett back in the lineup against the Dolphins, the question was whether Lovett would resume his target dominance—the rookie had nine targets against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first preseason game—or if Meeks could continue to challenge him.
Meeks came out on top of this battle. The undrafted rookie out of Syracuse tallied seven catches for 93 yards while also adding another touchdown catch, putting his preseason total up to two. Lovett was still involved, including recovering a muffed punt, but Meeks stood out more on offense.
The Lions have a difficult question: do they value Meeks and his ability on offense, or Lovett and his ability on special teams? For the sixth receiver on the depth chart, this is no easy question.
The battle for backup quarterback might be over.
A week after a near-perfect performance in relief of Hendon Hooker, Allen got the start and once again looked poised and confident. Allen finished...
