The Detroit Lions were outmanned in every phase in Thursday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Of course, it’s not only preseason football, but the first preseason football game just about a week into training camp, so it’s expected that things will be a bit sloppy. That said, you could make the same argument about the Chargers, who simply looked more composed from start to finish.
Question of the day: Which Lions unit needs to improve the most after the Hall of Fame Game?
I think the obvious answer lies between the offense and special teams. The defense wasn’t great, but there was a lot to love with highlights from new guys like Rock Ya-Sin and Ahmed Hassanein. Those who struggled were somewhat expected—Brodric Martin, who is on what feels like a very short leash to turn things around, and Ennis Rakestraw, who saw very little live action in his rookie year due to injury. On the whole, I didn’t come away with too many concerns from the defense.
On the offensive side, things were spotty in different positions. Kyle Allen obviously had a forgettable night, but I think we may be anchoring too hard on his two interceptions. Outside of those two, he looked serviceable. Hendon Hooker didn’t look much better, but he has made clear strides from last year and didn’t get much help from around him. You can read more about Hooker’s performance in Jeremy’s film breakdown of all 11 of Hooker’s dropbacks.
The reserve offensive linemen weren’t anything to write home about, either, but that’s true of just about any team in this league. It’s hard to find good offensive linemen, let alone good backup offensive linemen.
On the flip side, we saw some solid blocking (and fullback snaps) from the Lions’ backup tight ends. We also saw the first glimpses of Isaac TeSlaa, which was fun and very promising for his rookie year.
Special teams is where things get murky. We didn’t see the Lions’ field goal unit, but we also don’t expect any changes there compared to last year. Jack Fox was largely sharp, with the exception of his last punt that flew out of bounds sooner than anyone would’ve liked. Beyond the three core specialists though, the Lions are left with a lot of questions.
Grant Stuard was clearly the Lions’ most effective kick returner, averaging 31.0 yards per return, but he also soured the night from the start by fumbling on the opening kickoff. Great returns don’t mean much if you can’t hold on to the ball. Jakobie Keeney-James was the next option at kick returner, but he has the same ball security questions after muffing his lone punt return.
As far as coverage goes, the Chargers had just a singular kickoff return, and they managed to find 39 yards on it. That’s more than you’d like, and more than any of the Lions’ six kickoff returns. The Lions did hold the Chargers to just a single, 2-yard punt return, but that is as much a product of Jack Fox as any coverage unit.
My answer: I don’t think Grant Stuard or Jakobie Keeney-James are going to be returning live kicks in the regular season anytime soon. Then again, I really hope Kyle Allen isn’t seeing any regular season action that’s not a QB kneel, either. Right now though, it seems like the special teams questions extend to coverage, returns, and depth, and didn’t show the same promise that we saw from new players and certain drives on offense. I think the special teams unit will need to show improvement the most heading into Friday’s preseason game against the Falcons.
Which Lions unit do you think needs to improve the most after the Hall of Fame Game? Vote below and let us know your thoughts.
