Pride of Detroit
Despite a 17-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night, the Detroit Lions offense had many moments that were far from perfect. With injuries impacting a few positions, their lack of depth put some younger players into the action early in the game. Here’s how each position group graded out based on their performances and production in the team’s second preseason outing:
Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen split their snaps evenly in this preseason matchup, but one of them very much outplayed the other.
Hooker struggled heavily in the first half. He had a costly fumble on the first offensive drive of the game and followed that up with several incompletions on the next drive. He fumbled again later in the game, but that could be partially credited to his offensive line allowing defenders to slip right past them. Hooker finished his day with seven completions on 10 attempts for just 38 yards.
Allen looked like the better player out of the two once he came in near the end of the second quarter. He was nearly perfect passing, with just one incompletion on eight attempts. Allen found rookies Isaac TeSlaa and Jackson Meeks for touchdowns and also completed a nice 68-yarder to Meeks.
It’s often difficult to assess running back play without also considering the offensive line. With no Sione Vaki and Kye Robichaux now on injured reserve, Detroit rolled out with the trio of Craig Reynolds, Jabari Small, and Jacob Saylors in their backfield.
Reynolds got the bulk of the carries early on and did not get a run longer than 6 yards in his six carries. Small struggled just as much behind Detroit’s reserve offensive line.
The bright spot of this group is former UFL standout Jacob Saylors. Saylors carried the ball nine times and gained 35 yards. He had great vision and ran through a few tackles, easily looking like the best running back of the group against Atlanta. He also contributed in the passing game with two receptions for 14 yards.
The wide receiver group carried Detroit’s offense throughout this game. TeSlaa showcased his deep-ball ability and made two really good plays, including his aforementioned touchdown. He also had some routes that showed strong separation skills to get wide open, though he wasn’t targeted on them.
Undrafted rookie Jackson Meeks had the play of the game with his 68-yard catch and run. The former Georgia and Syracuse wide receiver put his quickness on full display against the Falcons, making a touchdown grab in tight coverage for Detroit’s second score of the game.
Ronnie Bell and Tom Kennedy each were also strong contributors who made some big plays for the Lions. Bell had two receptions for 26 yards while Kennedy made two catches for 14.
While the tight ends were not utilized much in the passing game, their blocking and route running should still be commended. Shane Zylstra got the...
