Grades: Detroit Lions Bully Colts With Strong Day in Trenches

The Detroit Lions ended the preseason on a winning note.

Squaring off against the Indianapolis Colts, the Lions put a bow on their 2026 exhibition slate with a 25-16 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Here are grades for each position group based on performance in Saturday's game.

Quarterbacks: B-

The Lions started Luke Altmyer, who got off to a rough opening as he threw an interception on his first possession. He rebounded to lead a touchdown drive, then exited until the start of the second half.

Joshua Dobbs out performed Altmyer on Saturday. Entering the game in the second quarter, Dobbs led two touchdown drives before halftime, ending both with scoring strikes. He finished 15-of-19 with two touchdown passes, and led a 14-play second-half drive that ended with the game-sealing touchdown.

Altmyer, meanwhile, had a fumble in his first series of the second half. He finished an efficient 7-of-11, but his two turnovers and lack of overall consistency in moving the offense stand out as a difference-making factor in what has been a closely contested battle for the backup job.

Running backs: B

Jacob Saylors may have a case to be the Lions' second running back to start the regular season if Isiah Pacheco is unable to suit up. It has been a sterling training camp for the East Tennessee State product, who has had significantly more opportunities to a year ago amidst injuries at the position.

Saylors ran for 100 yards on 17 carries Saturday, with a long of 22 yards. He was difficult to bring down, and showed a knack for making the first defender miss at the point of contact.

Elsewhere, Trayveon Williams recovered from a fumble on a kick return to put together a solid day. He finished with two rushing touchdowns, and had 57 yards on nine carries. Roydell Wiliams had 23 yards on nine carries, but also lost a fumble.

Wide receivers: A-

The Lions' presumed top three receivers all did not play, which made the game a showcase of their team's depth. It proved just how talented the receiving corps is, as several players made big plays.

It was Greg Dortch and Lucky Jackson who stole the show, however. Dortch set up the first touchdown with a nice 15-yard catch. Jackson led the team with 94 yards on five catches, including a 35-yard catch up the sideline.

Tay Martin added a touchdown grab amidst four catches for 16 yards. Malik Cunningham added two catches for 16 yards.

Tight ends: B

Jackson Meeks and Thomas Gordon were the two starters at the position, with Zach Horton playing a significant role as well. Meeks added to his resume with a touchdown catch, and also served as a lead-blocker when the Lions lined him up at fullback for a snap.

Horton helped the offense convert a fourth-down in the first half as part of back-to-back catches. Gordon added one catch for seven yards.

The Lions have a tough decision to make regarding Meeks, as he has been impressive amidst his position change from wide receiver throughout training camp.

Offensive line: A-

Detroit did some shuffling to their reserve offensive line, as Mason Miller slid over from guard to center as Seth McLaughlin was reportedly in concussion protocol. Miller, who is on the bubble, did have a couple of iffy snaps but drew positive reviews from Dan Campbell after the game.

Big picture, the Lions' offensive line had its best day of the preseason. It was a clear improvement in terms of how quickly they got off the ball and their ability to pave run lanes. Colby Sorsdal and Miles Frazier each showed big improvements in Saturday's game.

Defensive line: A

The Lions have been strong throughout the preseason in terms of getting to the quarterback, and Saturday was no different. Skyler Gill-Howard, who has been one of the biggest standouts throughout camp as a sixth-round pick, added another sack to his tally in the first half.

In the second half, Myles Adams was one of the big standouts. He had a sack and pressured Easton Stick into an incompletion on the Colts' final drive, which set up the final fourth-down. Ahmed Hassanein and Eric O'Neill also had a pressure on Stick to force an incompletion earlier in the game.

Linebackers: B

The Lions have to sort out a deep group of linebackers, and in Saturday's game there were extended opportunities for the likes of Erick Hunter and Joe Bachie. Bachie was one of the team leaders in tackles with four solos, while Hunter had three combined tackles.

Veteran Amen Ogbongbemiga added three combined tackles as well, while Troy Reeder had two. The Lions have some tough decisions to make amongst this group, as those who don't make it could quickly catch on elsewhere.

Secondary: B-

Roger McCreary was beat on a crossing pattern early by Keenan Allen, but overall the Lions rebounded nicely and kept the Colts' passing game in check. Ennis Rakestraw had the big play, picking off a pass by Riley Leonard late in the second quarter.

Undrafted free agent Aamaris Brown made a solid impression as well, notching five tackles and two passes defensed. Rookie Keith Abney II also made a big play late in the game, breaking up a fourth-down pass from Stick to force the game-sealing turnover on downs.

Special teams: D-

It was a bit of a tough day at the office for the Lions' special teams units. Kicker Jake Bates missed a pair of extra point attempts, which could be a cause for concern heading into the regular season.

Additionally, the Lions had a fumble on a kick return when Trayveon Williams lost the ball. However, the Lions' defense mitigated the damage as Rakestraw picked off a pass on the ensuing Colts drive. The Lions punted only once, as Jack Fox logged a 52-yard boot in the third quarter.

Coaching: B+

The Lions were able to emerge victorious and end the preseason on a high note, but now the work begins for the front office and coaching staff. Detroit's offense was fairly efficient throughout the day, with Dobbs outperforming Altmyer in the final audition for the backup job.

Defensively, Kelvin Sheppard's group appears to be in good shape from a depth perspective. Time will tell how many of the contributors from Saturday's game ultimately break camp with the organization, but the performances over the past two weeks seem to indicate that the team has solid depth options to rely on in the event of injuries.

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