Lions Preseason Evaluation: Who Stood Out Against Cincinnati?

The final score is one thing, but preseason football is really about evaluation. With several Detroit Lions starters sitting Thursday night, the 16-14 loss to Cincinnati gave younger players and those battling for roster spots an opportunity to show what they can do.

After watching Detroit’s first preseason game, there were several players who caught my attention — some for what they showed, and others because I still want to see more.

Defense

On the defensive side, Aamaris Brown was impressive. Brown finished with five solo tackles and seemed to consistently find himself around the football.

But you can’t talk about Detroit’s defensive performance without mentioning Ahmed Hassanein.

He and Ennis Rakestraw came away with sacks, accounting for Detroit’s only two sacks of the game. Hassanein’s was particularly impressive because it came against Joe Burrow while Cincinnati had many of its starters on the field. After hearing positive things about Hassanein throughout training camp, seeing him translate that into a preseason game was encouraging.

Blake Miller Gets His First NFL Test

Offensively, one of the players everyone wanted to see was first-round pick Blake Miller.

The rookie right tackle finally got his first taste of NFL game action. There will be plenty to evaluate once the film is broken down, but getting Miller live reps was one of the most important parts of Thursday’s game considering what Detroit expects from him moving forward.

I Want More From Dominic Lovett

Dominic Lovett is somebody I’m not ready to make a judgment on yet.

He finished with three receptions on eight targets, and that’s exactly why I want to see more.

Eight targets means the opportunities were there. Now I want to see Lovett turn more of those opportunities into production as the preseason continues. With Detroit’s receiver competition still playing itself out, his next couple of performances could be important.

Tarik Black Deserves a Longer Look

Another receiver I’m curious about is Tarik Black.

Black caught the late touchdown that gave Detroit an opportunity to tie the game with a two-point conversion. I’d like to see what he could do with more snaps and opportunities earlier in a game.

Preseason is about taking advantage of your chances, and Black did that when his number was called.

Jacob Saylors Made His Case

And you know I couldn’t leave out Jacob Saylors.

Saylors put together one of Detroit’s best offensive performances of the night. He ran hard, showed explosiveness and contributed in the passing game.

Based strictly on what I saw Thursday night, Saylors would be on my roster right now.

Obviously, one preseason game doesn’t decide a roster spot. But when you’re competing for the back end of a 53-man roster, you need nights like the one Saylors just had.

What Happened With Isaac TeSlaa?

Isaac TeSlaa was probably my biggest disappointment of the night.

The first-quarter interception will officially go against Luke Altmyer, but TeSlaa has to take some responsibility for what happened. The pass hit his helmet and popped into the air for the interception.

What concerned me more was what happened afterward.

TeSlaa was targeted three times and didn’t record a reception, including opportunities at important points in the game.

I’m not sounding any alarms after one preseason game, but considering the expectations surrounding TeSlaa, I expected more. His performance in the next preseason game becomes something I’ll be watching closely.

Now, About Luke Altmyer…

This might be the most interesting evaluation of them all.

I’m curious about Luke Altmyer.

It was his first NFL game, so some rookie mistakes were always going to come with it. And despite the two interceptions, I don’t think Altmyer played as badly as the turnovers might make it seem.

He showed some things.

Most importantly, after Detroit fell behind 16-6, Altmyer came back into the game and helped lead a late touchdown drive. He then used his legs to convert the two-point attempt and make it 16-14.

The final interception obviously wasn’t how he wanted the night to end, but I’m not walking away from Game 1 thinking he can’t play.

Altmyer split quarterback duties with Joshua Dobbs, who finished with a 60.4 passer rating, and there’s still plenty of football left before Detroit has to make decisions at the position.

With Altmyer, I’m less concerned about expecting a finished product right now and more interested in his development.

I especially want to watch his pocket presence, decision-making and command of the offense over the remaining preseason games.

There’s potential there.

One Game Down, Plenty Left to Evaluate

That’s ultimately what Thursday night was about.

Nobody should make Detroit’s 53-man roster based on one preseason performance, and nobody should lose a job because of one either. But the first game gives us a starting point.

Saylors made a strong first impression. Hassanein continued to validate what we’ve been hearing from training camp. Brown and Rakestraw made plays defensively. Black made the most of a big opportunity. Kennedy remained Kennedy.

Meanwhile, players like Lovett and TeSlaa left me wanting to see more.

And then there’s Altmyer, whose development might be one of the more interesting things to follow throughout the rest of the preseason.

One game down. Now let’s see who builds on it.