Winners and Losers From Lions Preseason Win Over Commanders

Following a 17-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals to open preseason, Detroit was back for their second preseason matchup on Saturday. The Lions were in the friendly home confines of Ford Field, facing a familiar foe from recent years, the Washington Commanders.

While the main stars of the franchise, such as Jared Goff, Aidan Hutchinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Amon-Ra St. Brown all remained out, a few more starters got their season started off for the Motor City with limited reps. The Lions emerged victorious, 17-13.

Who helped and hurt their case for starting jobs and roster spots?

Winners

DT Skyler Gill-Howard

Another week, another case of Gill-Howard impressing on tape. He started this preseason game off with what should have been his first sack, but it was negated by a defensive hold in the secondary.

He recorded a pressure immediately after and continues to impact the game from the defensive tackle spot. Immediately after a 55-yard catch and run where the Commanders were looking to have a go-ahead score in the red zone, Gill-Howard stepped up with a 4-yard tackle for loss.

DB D.J. Reed

Reed was one of the players who made their preseason debut, and made an impact immediately. In the first half, he had solid coverage, adding in a massive tackle for loss that put the Commanders in a bad spot following a missed Jake Bates long field goal that gave the team thoughts of their own field goal.

EDGE Derrick Moore

Moore joined Reed as a player making their preseason debut, and Moore showed out in his first professional action. In his first pass rush snap, Moore bull rushed his way into a pressure on Washington starting quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Moore was able to record his first sack of the preseason at the end of half, taking down Sam Hartman and forcing a fumble, which led to the Commanders letting the clock run out instead of going for a go-ahead score.

DERRICK MOORE GETS HIS FIRST SACK 🔥 pic.twitter.com/a04LQJGfOd
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LB Devin White

White continues to impress during his short preseason stint with the Lions. Initially signed after a rash of injuries in the linebacker room, White has solidified his spot on the roster and is looking at challenging for a starting role this preseason.

White had an instant pressure on a blitz, along with solid tackling and good coverage when challenged.

WR/PR Greg Dortch

Dortch showcased the pop that the staff wanted after losing Kalif Raymond to the Bears in free agency, with a promising 16-yard punt return to set the Lions up near the 50-yard line in the third quarter. That was followed by a screen to Trayveon Williams that set Detroit up for a go-ahead score late in the third quarter.

When Washington had a field goal to pull within a point, Dortch notched a nice return and showcased his elusiveness.

OT Blake Miller

Miller was a bright spot in a rough day for the Lions offensive line. With the Commanders defensive scheme proving challenging for most of the offensive linemen to play on Saturday, the first-round selection held his own.

RB Trayveon Williams

The running back room as a group looked extremely strong on Saturday, with Raheem Blackshear nearly making the winner’s list as well. However, Williams gets the nod here after the running back took over a drive in the third quarter to give the Lions a go-ahead score and lead they never relinquished.

Williams started off with a 24-yard catch and run on a screen from the Commander’s 48, and then was able to power the ball in on multiple strong runs from the goal line.

EDGE Eric O'Neill

The UDFA impressed last week in the preseason, and built off that performance with another extremely strong outing. After missing a tackle on second down with Washington looking for the go-ahead score, O’Neill showed his composure.

On third-down, the Rutgers product burst through the line to record a tackle for loss with Ahmed Hassanein and Erick Hunter. On fourth down, O’Neill had instantaneous pressure and altered a throw to give the Lions the ball back at the Washington 30, where they drove for a field goal to turn a one-point lead into a more comfortable four-point advantage as the game entered the final few minutes.

TE Jackson Meeks

Meeks had a strong outing, with three catches for 27 yards early on. However, as mentioned last week, special teams helps players earn roster spots.

The Syracuse product made his push for the roster late in the game, flying down the field on kickoff coverage and stripping the ball out, where Erick Hunter recovered the ball to give Detroit a chance to put the game away.

Meeks earned the trust of the staff with his play. That said, he provided clear “teaching tape” for the staff with a third down block on the final drive that could have been better, as it forced Blackshear to string the run out and ultimately be tackled for no gain, forcing a fourth down decision.

Losers

OT Larry Borom

Borom did not start hot on Saturday. In his first pass blocking matchup, Borom was tossed aside and let a pressure up the middle, preventing quarterback Joshua Dobbs from stepping up in the pocket. That enabled a Joshua Josephs strip sack from the edge after a block and release concept from the tight end, leading to a Commanders recovery in the end zone.

On the second drive, Borom was again beaten in pass protection, forcing a Dobbs panic throw into the middle of the field that was intercepted.

IOL Seth McLaughlin

McLaughlin was demoted to second string in the preseason with Juice Scruggs deemed healthy enough to play. In the Ohio State product’s reps, he had a few reps where he struggled to generate a push, with the lowlight being a sack where he initially beat Maurice Hurst, but failed to continue to push Hurst and led to a sack.

McLaughlin’s rough day continued with multiple allowed tackles for loss and a false start penalty in the second half when his day was extended following a Michael Niese injury.

OL Colby Sorsdal

Sorsdal was part of a bad day for the offensive line unit, as they allowed pressure after pressure on Luke Altmyer and Joshua Dobbs. During the contest, Sorsdal was benched for performance reasons. When the rest of the offensive line looked far from stellar, Sorsdal being benched is indicative of having a worse day than the rest.

DB Keith Abney II

Abney II was a player that had an up and down day. The Arizona State product showcased some flash, with two pressures in one drive. However, that same drive saw Abney get beat twice in coverage, including a defensive pass interference penalty on a one-handed catch.

With Abney having a two penalty game, he ultimately landed among the losers on Saturday. However, these reps prove invaluable to his development to step into a potential starting role as a rookie.

IOL Miles Frazier

Frazier’s rough preseason continued, with the lineman missing time due to injury, allowing a tackle for loss in a late drive, and then being flagged for a false start as the Lions looked to respond when the Commanders pulled within one.

IOL Melvin Priestly

With the Lions looking for their own go-ahead score in the third quarter, Priestly hurt the team and his roster chances with a false start.

In a day where the Lions struggled to get the pass game momentum due to stifling Washington pressure, the end results could have been a lot worse if not for effort play after effort play by Trayveon Williams.

While the penalty ultimately did not cost the Lions this time, it may cost the Illinois product when it comes to roster cut decisions. Worse yet, the false start came in a friendly environment.

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