One Undrafted Guy Just Changed Everything
Jacob Saylors walked into Cincinnati and stole someone’s job. That is not hyperbole. That is what happened Thursday night in a wet, sloppy preseason opener that somehow still managed to shake up the Lions roster in ways nobody saw coming.
Saylors ripped off 55 yards on 8 carries, tacked on 3 receptions for 28 more yards, and had a 15-yard run wiped out by a holding call that had nothing to do with him. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry. He looked decisive, explosive, and like someone who has no intention of ending up on a practice squad.
Coming into this game, Sione Vaki was penciled in as the third running back. He was supposed to be a lock because of his special teams ability. But Vaki is hurt, and Saylors just ate his lunch. When Vaki comes back, he is not walking into a guaranteed roster spot anymore. He is walking into a competition he might lose.
Saylors won the job Thursday. You can argue about whether one preseason game in the rain should be enough to make that call, but here we are. Brad Holmes finds these guys. This is what he does.
Luke Altmyer Looked Fine and That Might Be the Problem
Altmyer went 13-for-22 for 130 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. One of those picks was not his fault. We will get to that. The other one absolutely was.
He was accurate. He was decisive. He looked about as good as you could reasonably expect an undrafted free agent quarterback to look in his first real NFL action. But there was not a lot of wow in there. One big play. Mostly short stuff. Mostly safe.
Dan Campbell said earlier in the week that Altmyer needs a million reps before you can start making real decisions about him. That still feels right. The Lions pulled him for the second quarter, put Josh Dobbs in, then brought Altmyer back for the third. It was fine. It was not a done deal.
Josh Dobbs Looked Like the Guy
Dobbs came in and looked sharper than Altmyer. More decisive. Better arm. Making plays with his legs. Slinging it out of the pocket. All the things you expect Josh Dobbs to do.
He just got to Detroit a few days ago. He has had exactly one practice with this team. And he still looked like the clear choice for the backup quarterback job if it came down to him and Altmyer right now.
Isaac TeSlaa’s Summer From Hell Continues
This is getting hard to watch. TeSlaa has had a rough training camp, and Thursday did not help. Altmyer targeted him three times. One of those targets went straight through his hands, bounced off his helmet, and turned into an interception that was not Altmyer’s fault.
TeSlaa is supposed to be the third receiver on this team. Greg Dortch might be taking that job. I do not know what you do here, but something has to change. You cannot keep dropping the ball and expect to keep your spot in Allen Park.
Miles Frazier Called for Holding Three Times
Three holding calls in one preseason game is not ideal when you are fighting for a starting job at left guard. Frazier is competing with Christian Mahogany, and Mahogany had a couple penalties too, but Frazier’s were worse.
The last one was brutal. Third-and-19. Screen pass to Tom Kennedy. Beautiful blocking. Kennedy made a bunch of slick moves, picked up the first down, and then it all got wiped out because Frazier held. That is the kind of mistake that sticks with coaches.
Mahogany’s job to lose just became Mahogany’s job to keep.
Ahmed Hassanein Is Going to Play a Lot
We have been talking about Hassanein having a big training camp, and he backed it up Thursday. Got a sack on Joe Burrow early in the game, beating Cincinnati’s first-team left tackle. Later got a sack-fumble on Josh Johnson. Couple of pressures mixed in.
I never doubted he could make the roster. The question was how much he would actually play. Now I am starting to think he is going to see a lot of snaps. Tyler Lacy is still the guy, but Hassanein is going to pass rush, set the edge, and look really good doing it.
Blake Miller Looked Like a First-Round Pick
Blake Miller went up against Cincinnati’s first-team defense and held his own. Then played a little more into the second quarter. I have nothing bad to say. He looked exactly like the first-round pick Brad Holmes wanted when he took him.
It will be interesting to see if he plays again next week or if this was just a one-time showcase.
The Rain Made This Ugly
This game was wet, sloppy football. Fumbles. Interceptions. Penalties. Part of you wants to excuse it because of the weather, but that is football sometimes. The NFL does not care if it is raining. You still have to play.
Next week in Washington should give us a clearer picture of who these guys really are when the conditions are not miserable.
Dan Campbell Made a Smart Late-Half Call
With about 12 seconds left in the second quarter, Cincinnati had the ball and committed a penalty. Instead of taking the 10-second runoff and ending the half down 10-3, Campbell declined the penalty altogether. That made it a turnover on downs, and the Lions got the ball back.
Saylors ran for 9 yards. Jake Bates hit a 52-yard field goal. Detroit went into halftime down 10-6 instead of 10-3. It did not yield a ton of points, but it was a smart move and worth noting.
Dominic Lovett Keeps Dropping the Ball
This is starting to feel like last preseason all over again. Lovett had four targets Thursday and dropped three of them. Caught one for 15 yards and it was a nice play, but I keep waiting for this kid to get on track and show what he can actually do.
Hopefully he looks better against Washington.
Eric O’Neill Deserves More Attention
I came away from this game thinking I need to start paying more attention to Eric O’Neill. Just a couple of pressures here and there, but some really nice-looking moves. I have been so locked in on Hassanein and Lacy and the interior guys that I have not given O’Neill enough time.
I am not saying it is enough to make the 53-man roster, but when you start thinking about who ends up on the practice squad, O’Neill made a case for himself Thursday.
It Looks Pretty Bad for Rakestraw
Coming into this game, I did not have a roster spot for Ennis Rakestraw. I have found it hard to find one for him over Khalil Dorsey. He played well early Thursday, but then he went for an open-field tackle and drove his shoulder right into the knee of a ball carrier. He left the game with a trainer and did not come back.
If this is another long-term injury for Rakestraw, it is hard to see the Lions keeping him around for another year. Dan Campbell said after the game that it is just an arm contusion and not considered serious, so maybe he dodges a bullet. But the margin for error here is thin.
Did Saylors just take Vaki’s job or are we overreacting to one wet preseason game? Drop your take below.
