The Detroit Lions captured their first preseason win in Indianapolis with a competitive 27-26 victory over the Colts in the second week of preseason.
Detroit largely dominated both lines of scrimmage throughout the game, a matchup where most starters on both teams did not play. The Lions ran for 175 yards and held the Colts to just 30 yards on the ground in an emphatic display of trench domination.
This game put the spotlight on the backups, and in general it showed the overall increase in talent and depth of the Lions from this same point a year ago.
Run game - check
Detroit ran the ball very effectively in Indianapolis. They ran for 175 yards on 32 carries before the kneeldowns at the end.
It was a team effort, too. Four Lions RBs had 7 carries in the game.
- Justin Jackson – 54 yards
- Craig Reynolds – 37
- Godwin Igwebuike – 32
- Jermar Jefferson – 25
The blocking from the second-team OL and TEs was very strong too, particularly the interior line combination of Evan Brown, Logan Stenberg and Tommy Kraemer.
Crossing routes are an issue for the defense
The Colts use a lot of layered crossing routes in the passing game. And from the first Indianapolis drive, the scheme caused real problems for the Lions secondary.
Preseason rookie report: First-year defensive backs struggle in second preseason game
It wasn’t just any one culprit, either. Will Harris got torched for an early third-down conversion, but Kerby Joseph was late on the next one. Mike Hughes, JuJu Hughes, Mark Gilbert–they all got victimized by being too late or not fast enough in trail coverage on crossing routes.
Joseph, the rookie safety, got lost badly in a coverage situation on a deeper crossing route that led to the Colts’ second touchdown. He and Gilbert fudged the communication and it led to a too-easy TD that cannot happen when the scores matter.
Austin Bryant earned a spot on the 53-man roster
Austin Bryant earned plenty of raves from the joint practices during the week. No. 2 backed it up with a fantastic game against the Colts.
Bryant started at DE and made his presence felt right away. He was largely unblockable by whoever the Colts threw at him. Bryant finished with one credited sack but deserves at least a half-sack credit for a later one too. He was constantly disruptive while playing extended reps with Eric Banks leaving early and several other DEs out with either injury or rest.
Bryant has had a strong camp and he’s turning it up when he needed to, a good sign for the fourth-year vet from Clemson. Given all the injuries to the DL unit, it sure feels like he’s a roster lock now.
Swing OT might have swung in a new direction
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)Matt Nelson started at right tackle, but No. 67 struggled to sustain blocks and dictate the engagement with the defender on the Lions’ first drive. He was replaced by veteran Kendall Lamm on the second drive and the results were not much better.
Lamm is more athletic and savvy with his movement and it showed positively at times. Lamm did a much better job of engaging the defense in the run game, helping spring Craig Reynolds for two runs of 10-plus yards (TE Shane Zylstra also blocked quite well on those). But Lamm was beaten badly for a sack later and also surrendered a backside pressure that was a little too easy for the defense.
Overall Lamm was a little more effective but not enough to feel comfortable about. Neither was as good as veteran Dan Skipper, who quietly had a solid game as the starting left tackle. Skipper was very adept in pass protection, nicely using his length to keep rushers far to the outside. He also had a couple of very nice edge seal blocks in the run game.
The No. 3 OT spot hasn’t really been a camp battle; Nelson has basically assumed the job after doing it last year. Skipper might have something to say about that now.
Tom Kennedy does it again
In the first week of the preseason, Tom Kennedy was the only wide receiver in the league to top 100 receiving yards. Kennedy built nicely upon his stellar first week.
Kennedy caught five passes in the game. Those five receptions netted just 24 yards, but two of them ended in the end zone for Lions touchdowns. He’s been consistently open and reliable as a receiver in both games and is making himself a very difficult roster decision at a loaded Lions position group.
QB efficiency
David Blough earned the start with Jared Goff sitting out. It was a reversal from a week ago when Tim Boyle was the top backup.
If the Lions were looking for one of the quarterbacks to seize the day, or disappoint enough in the other direction, they didn’t get their wish. Both Blough and Boyle were solid and efficient in guiding the Lions offense.
Blough had one bad mistake, a throw over the middle that was a count late and too high for his target and was ultimately intercepted off a tip-drill. He also showed some craftiness in completing 16-of-22 passes, but Blough didn’t challenge down the field at all; his 22 passes netted just 76 yards, plus 18 more on the ground.
Boyle had a largely mistake-free game, a nice step for Detroit’s TB12. He too was pretty conservative with the passing attack, completing 12-of-15 for just 99 yards. He made arguably the best throw of his career in hitting Kennedy in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, a great read and well-placed delivery. Boyle also nicely escaped from some pressure and didn’t panic in the process. Good game for Boyle when he really needed it.
Quick hits
–Third-round rookie safety Kerby Joseph had a very disappointing game. Joseph was frequently late to the party in coverage and just flat-out lost on a couple of situations. He’s learning and it’s way too early to panic, but throughout camp it’s become pretty clear Joseph isn’t yet ready to be more than a bit player early on.
–Austin Seibert doinked a 55-yard field goal attempt off the right upright. His two successful FGs in the game also played a left-to-right tack that got a little too hooked on the miss.
–Maurice Alexander built on his camp momentum with two excellent kick returns. The former USFL wide receiver has been decent enough on offense that it’s easy to see the Lions bestowing the return specialist job to him and also trusting Alexander as the No. 6 WR.
–I’ve been a frequent critic of Logan Stenberg, but this might have been the best game he’s played in his three seasons in Detroit. Other than one whiffed block, Stenberg treated the Colts defenders like unruly patrons being bounced out of the club.
–DE Eric Banks left the game after suffering an apparent leg injury. It did not appear immediately serious and it was the only stoppage for an injured Lions player.
–Undrafted rookie OL Kevin Jarvis sat out the game with an undisclosed injury.
–The officials let the teams play; there were a combined seven penalties for 55 yards assessed in the game. There should have been at least one more on the Colts first touchdown, a play where Indianapolis WR Michael Strachan was guilty of a very obvious offensive pass interference at the expense of Lions CB Mark Gilbert.
–The Lions in-house broadcast crew of Brandon Gaudin, Devin Gardner and sideline reporter Dannie Rogers stepped up nicely in their second week together.
