Lions report, late August 2008

Preseason Game 2: Lions 27, Bengals 10

Preseason Game 3: Lions 26, Browns 6

QB: Jon Kitna has been rock steady in this preseason, attaining a perfect rating through two games and still around a 150 rating after three games. He was out quickly against the Bengals after going 3 of 3 for 76 yards and a TD. He got a little more time against the Browns and went 9 of 11 for 98 yards. He has looked very sharp and has played his way up to solid fantasy backup status. Drew Stanton banged up his thumb in practice, and at first it wasn’t believed to be serious, but it turned out to be a four week injury. So it will cost him valuable playing time and experience in the final two preseason games, and any shot he had of winning the #2 job. Dan Orlovsky gets it for sure, and Drew Henson was signed to be the #3 for now. Kitna will likely sit out Thursday’s game at Buffalo, so Henson will get some action after Orlovsky, even if it is mostly handoffs.

RB: Well even if Rod Marinelli won’t admit it yet, there is no doubt that rookie Kevin Smith has seized control of the starting job here. Smith is a very confident young man and even though the coaches told him at the last minute that he would start against the Bengals, he ran for 19 yards on 4 carries, with a long run of 16 yards. He made a beautiful cutback and broke a 35 yard TD against the Browns and finished with 45 yards on 10 carries in that. Yes you can do the math; take the TD away and that’s only 10 yards on his other 9 carries, so that was a little discouraging. Consistently gaining yardage on the ground has been an issue throughout the preseason, and it will likely continue into the season. One thing that needs to happen is a reduction in penalties, and the most recent game was an improvement. False starts in particular were a problem even at the practice session I attended a few weeks ago. If they don’t cut down on penalties they will end up with too many 1st and 15, 2nd and 20, and so on, which is not conducive to running the ball effectively. Also, there is little depth on the offensive line so injuries could be crushing. No other running back here is worth drafting as even Tatum Bell isn’t a total lock to make the roster. Artose Pinner and Brian Calhoun have shown flashes against the backups, but nothing special.

WR/TE: Calvin Johnson is rocketing up draft boards across the country after his preseason performance. We’re talking 9 catches for 170 yards and a TD, in less than a full game worth of playing time. He looks like the real deal and you won’t get any argument from me if you grab him in the 4th round, or maybe even the late 3rd. With all the hype surrounding Johnson, Roy Williams might slip under the radar just a bit, and he might end up as a good value pick as well. Roy made a circus catch against the Browns as if to remind people that while Calvin is going to be great, he isn’t too bad himself. Remember Mike Martz played matchups and liked going to the slot receivers. This new offense is going to force the ball to these two studs. Detroit’s tight ends are undraftable.

K/Def/ST: Jason Hanson continues to sit out with a thigh injury, but he is close enough to 100% that you can still draft him and feel safe. The Lions defense is looking surprisingly good in the preseason. Sure the Browns were without Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis, and Braylon Edwards, but regardless, the Lions are looking like a true Tampa 2 defense. I was skeptical of the Brian Kelly signing but he is going to be a factor in the secondary. As advertised, the defensive line looks quick, and the opposing quarterbacks have faced constant pressure. I know it’s just preseason and I can’t recommend drafting the Lions defense, but you could at least look to use them against some weak opponents (maybe week 1 against Matt Ryan and the Falcons?).

That’s all for now. Good luck in your drafts!