The game and final score were ugly as the Detroit Lions lost 31-3 to the New England Patriots at Ford Field on Thursday night.
It was just an exhibition and most of the Lions starters didn’t play -- or barely played. But, fans don’t want to see a loss like that. It doesn’t inspire confidence, especially when there has been a narrative that the Lions have some good depth on their roster.
Recommended Videos
But let’s remember the preseason is about establishing who makes the final cut. Let’s look at some themes from Thursday’s game, players who turned in a decent performance, and guys who we want to see more out of.
What happened and what we learned
Injuries: Wide receiver Jermaine Kearse suffered a broken leg just minutes into the game and will miss the whole season. By all accounts, he was having a good training camp and put himself in a good position to be the team’s fourth or fifth receiver. Now, the Lions might have to bring someone else in to fill his spot.
Backup quarterback Tom Savage also went down early with what looked like a concussion. Entering the game, Savage was the favorite to win the backup QB job and depending on the injury, he’ll probably remain the favorite. He looked good in the two series’ he played, including a sharp third down throw to Brandon Powell that went for 24 yards and a first down.
Under pressure: It was a tale of two sides here. The Lions’ offense was under pressure all night. The offensive line didn’t look good at all, giving up nine sacks. Former Lions’ guard TJ Lang appeared on the broadcast to say that most of the issues appeared to be communication based, which he says can be easily fixed. Regardless, it was a flat performance from the backups.
On the other side of the ball, the Lions’ defensive line couldn’t get any pressure at all. The Patriots easily moved the ball and put up 31 points. They racked up 459 yards of offense to the Lions’ 93.
It all starts up front, and the Lions’ backups on both the offense and defensive line are going to have to step up if they want to be counted on during the regular season.
Bright(ish) spots
Brandon Powell: Powell showed his value as a speedy backup receiver and returner. He continued his rise with a few catches - including a third down conversion that went for 24 yards - and a nice kick return for 31 yards. With Jermaine Kearse going down, Powell moves up the depth chart and is going to get more opportunities. Let’s see if he can take advantage of them.
Ty Johnson: Johnson, a rookie out of Maryland, catches your eye coming out of the backfield. He’s very fast and used his speed to pick up 17 yards on one of his three carries. He showed his physicality as well on his other two. When the Lions released Theo Riddick, they did so in part because they believe in what Ty Johnson can do. Watch for him the remainder of the preseason.
Miles Killebrew: Killebrew showed his athleticism and why the Lions have kept him around. Listed on the depth chart as a safety, he played linebacker on Thursday. Killebrew had a game high six tackles including one tackle for loss. He’s also a valued special teamer, making plays in punt and kick coverage.
Who to keep an eye on
Amani Oruwariye: The rookie seemed to hold his own in coverage, but he just couldn’t make a play on the ball. He got beat for one touchdown but did make six tackles and had two passes defended. On one of those pass breakups, Oruwariye was beat but made a nice play, diving to deflect the ball away from the receiver.
Tyrell Crosby: It was not Crosby’s night. He got beat a couple of times to give up a sack and just did not look sharp. Crosby is a guy the Lions hope can one day start at guard or tackle. As a backup last year, he got some solid playing time appearing in 10 games.
Isaac Nauta: Nauta didn’t have as great a night as one might’ve been expected. He had a nice seal block Ty Johnson’s long run but then later dropped a pass from David Fales. After that, he wasn’t thrown to again. By all reports Nauta has had a good camp but that needs to translate to the games.
The backup QB’s: Savage looked good before going down with an injury; Fales didn’t look great, including throwing an interception to a defensive lineman who was right in front of him. Both quarterbacks didn’t have much time to throw with the pressure from the Patriots. Depending on Savage’s health, the backup quarterback situation could become an issue when it wasn’t one before.
Everyone on the offensive/defensive lines: For the o-line, Crosby was already mentioned, but don’t forget to watch for guys like Andrew Donnal, Oday Aboushi and Leo Koloamatangi. That trio will have to step up for the second offensive line unit to have a better night next week and to give the Lions’ offense a chance.
For the defensive line someone just needs to make a play. PJ Johnson and Kevin Strong both had a couple of tackles and Darius Kligo had a pass deflected. But someone needs to make some splash plays like a sack or tackle for loss that shows they can be part of the rotation at D-line. Because there’s already six guys capable of starting ahead of them.
Bottom line
So, it was an ugly night for the backups. While this isn’t the core group we’ll see on Sunday, some of the guys who were out there will be thrown into the mix at some point this year.
While fans would love to see the Lions win, the question throughout the preseason really is: Who’s going to make some plays to show they belong?