Post by D6 on Aug 27, 2021 17:56:49 GMT -5
Thoughts in ****
www.mlive.com/lions/2021/08/instant-observations-detroit-lions-go-winless-in-preseason-lose-qb-tim-boyle-to-injury-too.html
Instant observations: Detroit Lions go winless in preseason again, lose QB Tim Boyle to injury too - mlive.com
The Lions wrapped up the preseason on Friday night against the Indianapolis Colts.
Instant observations: Detroit Lions go winless in preseason again, lose QB Tim Boyle to injury too
Updated: Aug. 27, 2021, 10:06 p.m. | Published: Aug. 27, 2021, 10:04 p.m.
By Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com
DETROIT -- The Lions concluded the preseason with a 27-17 loss on Friday night against the Indianapolis Colts, extending their winless exhibition streak to eight straight games. They still haven’t won in the preseason since Aug. 24, 2018.
Of course, the only real measure of success in an exhibition finale is staying healthy. But, well, the Lions have some real concerns there too after losing quarterback Tim Boyle (throwing hand) and offensive lineman Logan Stenberg to injuries against Indianapolis. Both were projected to make the 53-man roster as backups.
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While watching the game, I didn't even notice how either player was injured. In the case of Tim Boyle, his final play was the TD to WR Quentez Cephus, who likely not only should survive the cutdown to 53 but looks like he earned an opening day roster spot. This even with a holding penalty by Cephus on a running play. Cephus' catch on a low ball early in the game and the TD, in which he got opened, secured the catch, and broke a tackle, certainly helped his cause.****
Detroit has until 4 p.m. Tuesday to cut its 80-man roster to 53 players.
With that, some observations.
-- Former Packers quarterback Tim Boyle was signed in free agency to be the backup to Jared Goff, but was outplayed by David Blough throughout the exhibition slate. Then he left the finale after just two series due to an injured throwing hand, potentially throwing another wrench into Detroit’s quarterback plans just three days before the cut to 53 players. Boyle suffered the injury on the third play of the game, when former Michigan star pass rusher Kwity Paye torched Tyrell Crosby and drove Boyle into the ground. Boyle fumbled the ball, and cut his throwing hand in the process. He did stay in for one more series, and actually put together his best drive of the preseason, completing 6 of 7 passes, including a 15-yard touchdown strike to Quintez Cephus. So, hey, maybe the injury isn’t consequential. But his hand did keep bleeding, the Lions lifted him from the game and he was later seen with some kind of wrap/brace on his throwing hand and wrist.
Boyle’s final line of the summer: 22 of 39 passing for 135 yards, one touchdown, no picks and one fumble.
**** The 14 play TD drive, after the injury, was easily best drive of the pre-season by Tim Boyle. Props to Boyle on staying in the game, following the injury to his hand and playing his best football of the pre-season.****
-- Boyle’s premature exit gave Blough a great opportunity to cement his roster case, and started hot too. On his second series, Blough scrambled 9 yards on a broken to play to move the chains on third-and-long. He later kept the ball on a zone-read and scored a touchdown, although the play was overturned upon review. Godwin Igwebuike converted on fourth-and-goal on the very next play to give the Lions a 14-9 lead. But Blough struggled more in the second half, missing Victor Bolden on a deep pass after Indianapolis had tied the game 17-all in the fourth quarter, then threw a bad interception that led to a go-ahead field goal for the Colts. Blough completed just 13 of his 21 passes for 117 yards, no touchdowns and the one pick.
**** I'm not sure if the interception was David Blough's fault or whether WR Damion Ratley didn't run the route the way he should have based on the coverage. Having said this, there were sone other plays that Blough wasn't accurate. Including the long pass to WR Victor Bolden. ****
-- In addition to the Boyle injury, the Lions also lost two offensive linemen against Indianapolis. Tackle Dan Skipper had to be carted off the field in the second quarter, an ominous sign of his future in Detroit, while guard Logan Stenberg went to the locker room in the fourth quarter. Stenberg, a fourth-round pick last year, had shown some promising signs of development in camp and was projected to win one of the reserve jobs on the interior. If he’s not ready to go when the season opens in two weeks, there’s no telling what the Lions will do. Their depth on the interior is woof, as anyone watching in the preseason can attest.
**** Dan Skipper might have beaten out Matt Nelson for a roster spot, if not for Skipper's injury. Nelson had a disappointing pre-season...****
-- The Lions rested almost all their projected starters, with rookies like Penei Sewell, Alim McNeill, Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Parker the lone exceptions. The club wanted to get those guys more game-like reps before the real bullets start flying in two weeks, and Sewell continued to struggle in pass protection. He was among the worst-graded players last week in Pittsburgh, according to ProFootballFocus, then got worked by Kemoko Turay on the first series of the game on Friday night. And he would have allowed a sack on the play had Tyrell Crosby not gotten worked by Kwity Pay on the other side of the field. Yes, it’s just the preseason. No, we shouldn’t overreact. But this is becoming something of a pattern for Sewell, who is struggling with his handwork, especially against speed rushes. With just two weeks left until the opener, there is some reason for concern about just how ready Sewell is to protect Jared Goff.
**** Much like the pre-season opener vs. Buffalo, Penei Sewell was much better on the Lions 2nd drive,(a very long drive much like the Bills game), than the first drive.****
-- The Lions signed Corn Elder to start in the slot, only to turn to Mike Ford by the start of training camp, then signed Nickell Robey-Coleman midway through camp -- and now seem to have settled on the unlikeliest candidate of all for that job. Undrafted rookie A.J. Parker has practiced with the first team for a while now, and did nothing in the finale to dissuade that notion. He broke up one pass in the end zone and made a nice open-field tackle short of the sticks on third down.
**** A.J. Parker will likely be the Lions # 1 Nickel CB vs. SF in the season opener. Tremendous story by the UDRFA from Kansas St.****
-- Elder, by the way, did make a really nice interception in the third quarter on Friday night. He’s still probably on the wrong side of the roster bubble after missing so much of camp, but it was a nice sendoff that could help the veteran land on a roster someplace else.
**** Good job by Corn Elder when given an extensive opportunity in the 2nd half. He certainly helped his NFL cause, even if it's not with the Lions. ****
-- Breshad Perriman’s starting job at receiver was basically written in pen once the Lions guaranteed nearly all of his $2.5 million salary. Now you have to wonder whether he’ll make this team at all. On a night when Detroit emptied its bench onto the field, Perriman was out there with the other reserves. He also dropped two passes, while finishing with just one catch for 6 yards. That’s more of what we’ve seen in camp, wher he’s been big, he’s been fast, but just hasn’t been very good. Receivers Tyrell Williams and Kalif Raymond did not play against Indianapolis, and might have locked up the starting jobs on the outside. Rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown is expected to be the man in the slot, with Quintez Cephus coming off the bench. As for Perriman, the financial reality probably means he’ll make the team, though it’s less certain than it should be -- and how much he’ll pay, less so.
**** I wasn't sure if the first pass Breshad Perriman didn't catch ( the Lions got a free play because a Colts player jumped offside) was a drop or a CB deflection. The one the followed was clearly a drop. I think the Lions should move on from him. The roster spot can be used in a better way than keeping such an unreliable player.****
-- Cephus, meanwhile, got the Lions on the board by torching Rock-Ya Sin on a beautiful 15-yard pitch-and-catch on the second series of the game. A fifth-round pick last year, Cephus has been relatively quiet throughout camp in the preseason, though his size and versatility make him a nice option on the bench.
-- While the receiver battle fizzled out because no one stepped up, the competition at running back has been much hotter. Behind D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams (neither of whom played on Friday), Jermar Jefferson has been the leading contender for RB3. He started against Indy, drew a team-high 11 carries in the first half and turned them into a team-high 43 yards. He cuts hard, and wastes no time getting north-and-south. There’s a lot to like about the seventh-round pick. But the guys behind him have made plays too. Godwin Igwebuike, after switching to the position just days before the start of training camp, ran for a touchdown for the second consecutive week, this time on a tremendous second effort at the goal line. Craig Reynolds, signed just one day before the preseason opener, also scored two touchdowns in the preseason. Jefferson probably will be RB3, and no one’s touching Jason Cabinda as the fullback, but Igwebuike and Reynolds have both made strong cases for the practice squad.
**** Jerman Jefferson had a strong all around game. Including in pass protection. I think he secured an opening day roster spot.
Godwin Igwebuike and Craig Reynolds are both on the roster bubble. I think one of them would be a better option to keep at least through the cutdown to 53 than a 3rd TE or possibly a 9th Offensive Lineman. It's close between the two RBs. So much depends on what the team brass is looking for. Not to mention the assessed risk factors in the waiver claim process. ****
-- Austin Bryant has been hurt so much in his career that we’ve never really had this kind of extensive, three-game look at him. And it’s been increasingly impressive. The Lions left him on the field a long time on Friday night to help get some snaps under his belt, and he was constantly pestering Brett Hundley in the backfield. He didn’t finish much -- he had just two tackles on the night -- but there’s a lot to like about his motor, length and athleticism. His roster spot seems safe, joining Julian Okwara as the backups to Trey Flowers and Romeo Okwara on the edge.
**** IMHO, Charles Harris also deserves to at least survive the cutdown to 53. Harris looked like one of the Lions best players in this particular game. The Lions should go with 5 edge players to begin the season. ****
With that, we’re on to San Francisco.
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This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions vs. Colts preview: Pre-Season Game # 3 ( 2021 )
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1154/lions-colts-preview-season-game
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