Game 2: Giants 30, Lions 17

Game 3: Lions 33. Buccaneers 30

QB: There wasn’t much to get excited about in this preseason regarding QB Matthew Stafford. He was only 2 of 5 against the Giants, got sacked twice and hit another time. Too many hits for the limited time he was in there. He played more against Tampa Bay and was 9 of 18 for 113 yards. There were a few drops in the rainy conditions which hurt his completion percentage. He also took 3 more sacks and had to scramble to keep a few other plays alive. The offensive line needs to get their act together, although it is worth noting that rookie first round pick Frank Ragnow has probably been Detroit’s best lineman in the preseason. The battle for the backup job may go down to preseason game4 as it looks like it is too close to call. QB Matt Cassel has looked OK, but QB Jake Rudock was efficient against the Giants and led a late comeback in Tampa with a heavy dose of checkdowns.

RB: The Lions continue to give RB Ameer Abdullah a lot of early playing time in these preseason games. He put the ball on the ground twice against the Giants. Ball security has been a problem for him in the past. It’s also one of the reasons why the Lions traded up to get RB Kerryon Johnson. Don’t worry about the way they are using Abdullah. Johnson was drafted to be the lead back and even though he hasn’t been getting many touches the last two weeks, he will emerge with the most fantasy value. RB LeGarrette Blount got 11 carries in each of these two games, gaining 32 yards against the Giants and 45 against Tampa, as the Lions try to add that smash mouth element to their offense. RB Theo Riddick had a nice 42 yard reception against the Giants as he should not be forgotten in PPR leagues.

WR/TE: There was some talk about WR Kenny Golladay being on the field ahead of WR Golden Tate when the Lions lined up with just 2 receivers on the field against the Giants. It doesn’t mean much because they will use 3 receivers in their base offense so don’t drop Tate in your rankings. Don’t drop WR Marvin Jones either. He’s had a quiet preseason but he will produce when it counts. A couple of longshots are trying to force their way onto the 53 man roster. Undrafted rookie WR Brandon Powell returned a punt for a TD against Tampa and has shown potential as an undersized but quick slot receiver. TE Hakeem Valles has been getting a long look from the coaches and could be a factor in the passing game if TE Luke Willson has to miss time with his knee injury. It seems like every year there are a couple of tight ends around the league that emerge from nowhere. Maybe Valles could be one of those guys.

K/DST: A couple of missed field goals from PK Matt Prater over the last two weeks. He hit the upright from 48 against the Giants, then he was short on a 62 yard attempt in Tampa at the end of the first half. I doubt they would have attempted this long of a kick in the regular season, especially in wet conditions. The kick got returned for a TD but I think Matt Patricia wanted to see how well they would execute in that situation and it was a teaching moment for sure. The defense is still a work in progress. There are some areas that look like potential weaknesses such as a lack of a pass rush, shaky run defense, and linebackers who struggle in coverage. Opposing tight ends and pass catching running backs figure to have fantasy value when they face the Lions. But if you’re feeling lucky, you could try them as a streaming option in week 1 when the Lions host the Jets.

Next up for the Lions will be the preseason finale against Cleveland, followed by the cut to 53 and the regular season opener against the Jets.

End.