Inside Allen Park: Clean, Crisp, Fast Monday Practice

Following the Detroit Lions' first road preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lions head coach Dan Campbell wanted to rest the players who took a heavy dose of snaps in the game.

The Lions' practice Monday focused heavily on one-on-one battles, protections and routes.

After the team's 26-20 loss to the Steelers, Campbell & Co. felt it was best to rest several of the players who played heavily in the game.

"We’re gonna do one-on-one's. We’re gonna do a walk-through, and then, these guys that did play in the game or these low-rep guys from the game, we’re gonna take them out and really do one-on-one routes, one-on-one protections. Things of that nature," Campbell said Monday, prior to practice. "So, it’ll be clean, crisp, fast. But, we had a number of guys who took a lot of reps, and we have injuries. So, it’s the smart thing to do."

General observations of Monday's practice

Offensive lineman Tyrell Crosby and cornerback Corn Elder were back out on the practice field.
Nose tackle John Penisini returned, and was a consistent force for Detroit's offensive linemen to deal with during drills on Monday.
Quarterbacks Jared Goff and Jordan Ta'amu were spotted on the practice field. Tim Boyle and David Blough were not spotted at practice. The majority of the tosses observed at practice were thrown by Goff.
As planned, tight end T.J. Hockenson's workload increased, as he secured five-of-six passes tossed to him. The third-year tight end picked up right where he left off, prior to his lower-body injury.
Offensive lineman Penei Sewell continued his battles with Romeo Okwara. Sewell is working on his balance, footwork and making sure his hands do not stay too wide while locking up defenders.
The running back unit was able to hold its own during one-on-one protection drills, as Jamaal Williams continued to display his versatility and ability to pass protect.
Veteran cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman was involved in a couple of pass breakups, including intercepting a pass from Goff which was intended for wideout Kalif Raymond.
Victor Bolden is still not making enough plays at practice, as he was unable to secure a ball in the end zone. He was observed talking to coaches, following the missed grab.

Observed one-on-one battles

#8 vs. #30
#95 vs. #80
#95 vs. #58
#98 vs. #66
#68 vs. #90
#54 vs. #64
#8 vs. #45
#74 vs. #66
#45 vs. #58
#34 vs. #36
#59 vs. #40
#45 vs. #58

Add us as a preferred source on Google