Post by D6 on Aug 14, 2023 0:22:37 GMT -5
Thoughts in ****
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Observations: Lions win preseason opener, but show need for Teddy Bridgewater
Observations: Lions win preseason opener, but show need for Teddy Bridgewate
Published: Aug. 11, 2023, 10:10 p.m.
Detroit Lions vs. New York Giants: Preseason Game 1
By Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com
DETROIT -- He hasn’t laced up a cleat in this town yet, and Teddy Bridgewater might already be one of the most popular players in Detroit.
With Jared Goff and most of the rest of the starters in street clothes, backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld struggled badly in a 21-16 exhibition win against the New York Giants on Friday night at Ford Field. Sudfeld threw an interception on his first pass, was picked off twice overall, and led the offense to just three points on six drives before finally departing in the final seconds of the third quarter. He finished 15 of 28 passing overall for 194 yards, two interceptions -- both on passes to Jameson Williams -- and a frigid passer rating of 45.8.
The Lions didn’t score a touchdown until Maurice Alexander’s 95-yard punt return early in the third quarter, and didn’t score an offensive touchdown until third-string quarterback Adrian Martinez scored the game-winning touchdown on a third-and-goal run with 1:51 left.
Good thing Bridgewater is already under contract, because Sudfeld ain’t it.
The backup quarterback position has been a problem for a long time in Detroit, which still hasn’t won a game with a non-starter under center in more than a decade. General manager Brad Holmes finally secured an upgrade this week by luring Bridgewater to Detroit after a monthslong courtship. With the way Sudfeld played against New York, you can understand the sense of urgency to bring in a better option for this highly anticipated season.
The pain started right away for Sudfeld, who forced an ill-advised pass to a double-covered Williams while under duress on the first play of the night. Giants safety Jason Pinnock returned the interception to Detroit’s 32-yard line, where the Lions did a good job forcing a three-and-out, but the field position allowed New York to kick a field goal for a quick 3-0 lead.
Sudfeld had a fourth-down pass dropped by rookie tight end Sam LaPorta on the next drive, then was on a very different page from Williams on the drive after that, resulting in an errant football into nowhere. It was a disjointed start that got only marginally better after New York flooded the field with its third-team defense. Sudfeld threw a second pick deep in his own territory, leading to a New York touchdown one play later, and threw a bad ball on fourth-and-goal to conclude the first half.
**** Thankfully, Teddy Bridgewater is in the Lions fold. My lack of confidence in Nate Sudfeld, if called up in a regular season game, was reinforced against the Giants. While Sudfeld's supporting cast on Offense contributed to Sudfeld having a subpar performance, the Lions aren't going anywhere if Sudfeld is the Lions QB in games for an extended period. Unless Jared Goff or Teddy Bridgewater suffers a significant injury in the next two weeks, I don't think Sudfeld will survive the cutdown to 53. ****
Let’s get to some more observations from the first (unofficial) night of the season.
-- After two days of joint practices with New York, Detroit opted to rest almost all of its starters. The offensive lineup looked like this: QB Nate Sudfeld, WR Jameson Williams, WR Dylan Drummond, WR Antoine Green, TE Sam LaPorta, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, LT Matt Nelson, LG Darrin Paulo, C Ross Pierschbacher, RG Colby Sorsdal and RT Germain Ifedi.
**** Jahmyr Gibbs played more than I anticipated.
Germain Ifedi looked like by far the Lions best Offensive Lineman of those that started this game and the best overall Lions O-Line in the game. Ifedi only played RT but he clearly performed better than he did in practice (according to the practice reports I read).
Ross Pierschbacher was injured in the 1st QTR, after what looked like a below average performance. Piersbacher didn't return to the game. He was placed on Injured Waivers over the weekend. UDFRA Brad Cecil took his place and appeared to have performed at least somewhat better.****
And the defense, like this: DE Romeo Okwara, DT Brodric Martin, DT Isaiah Buggs, DE Josh Paschal, LB Derrick Barnes, LB Malcolm Rodriguez, CB Starling Martin V, CB Will Harris, CB Brian Branch, S Ifeatu Melifonwu and S Saivion Smith.
**** Romeo Okwara played extensively throughout the game. Including, on the game sealing drive. While Romeo Okwara played a good all around game, he's clearly on the roster bubble. His younger broher Julian Okwara stepped up with an enormously impactful game as a pass rusher. Julian has differential skills. Romeo depends greatly on effort and could easily be caught in a numbers game. The Lions edge player depth is impressive.
Starling Thomas V helped his cause both at CB and on Special Teams. He made two key blocks on the Punt Return TD by Maurice Alexander. ****
****
-- The Lions doused Jameson Williams in snaps, as promised. There just weren’t very many good ones. Williams might have played every offensive snap until finally leaving the game in the final seconds of the third quarter, but caught just two of his seven targets for 18 yards. Of course all those snaps came with Sudfeld, whose struggles were obvious. But you’d also like to see a 12th overall pick do a lot more at this point in his career, particularly while playing against the Giants’ backup secondary.
Williams did have a nice timing route with Sudfeld on a 2-point conversion, but also had another bad drop after he left Deonte Banks in his dust on a bomb inside the 10-yard line. That’s more of what we’ve seen throughout training camp. Williams is an athletic supermachine, capable of running away from anything and anyone at any time, but just remains such a work in progress in all the other ways that makes an NFL receiver great. He continues to struggle to produce consistently despite working mostly with the second team in practice, and couldn’t leave his mark against the end of New York’s bench on Friday night. Expect to see Williams play a lot against Jacksonville next week, as the Lions try to speed up his progress before the six-game suspension to open the regular season.
**** On the bright side, Jameson Williams did a good job as a blocker. As a receiver, despite the two point conversion play, which was a positive, Williams was a huge disappointment. He didn't get even close to the type of separation someone with his abilities should be getting. As a receiver, he needs to be much more focused, precise, and passionate than was the case in this game. ****
-- One bright spot for the offense was, no surprise here, Jahmyr Gibbs. The rookie was the best home-run threat on the field for Detroit during joint practices, then continued to look good during a limited pro debut, accounting for 37 yards on seven touches in one quarter of work. Gibbs is going to play a lot in the backfield while factoring heavily into the passing game this fall.
**** Jahmyr Gibbs was indeed a bright spot. His rushing and receiving skills were on display. His recognition abilities in pass pro need to improve but that's the norm for rookie RBs in the first pre-season game. ****
-- The biggest play of the night came on special teams, where Maurice Alexander earned himself some money by spinning out of two tackles en route to a dazzling 95-yard punt return for a touchdown. That was a huge play for the team, which was trailing 13-3 in the third quarter, as well as Alexander, a deep reserve at wide receiver. He’s made some outstanding catches in camp, but hasn’t been consistent enough to land on the right side of the roster bubble. It doesn’t help that the ink isn’t even dry on a two-year extension that will keep All-Pro punt returner Kalif Raymond in Honolulu blue through 2025. But Alexander is a good candidate for the practice squad -- if, of course, another team doesn’t claim him first.
**** A dropped 4th QTR pass doesn't help Maurice Alexander's cause to survive the cutdown to 53. He could realistically be claimed off waivers. However, it's likely the Lions will expose him to waivers, barring something substantial that changes the Lions roster battle landscape. ****
-- Another day where the sun rose in the east, another day where Brian Branch looked determined to make the league pay for not taking him in the first round. Branch racked up three quick tackles before taking an early seat on the bench, one of which was a soul-crusher in the backfield against Giants receiver Cole Beasley. Here, see for yourself.
**** Brian Branch certainly looks like a 1st Round caliber player. Tremendous play! The video can be seen by going to the link of the article at the beginning of the this thread message/ post. ****
For those unable to make it out to Allen Park this summer, well, this is Brian Branch. He’s been so good in coverage, on the blitz, against the run, whatever, wherever, whenever. It’s growing increasingly difficult to keep Branch off the field, and Detroit is no longer even trying. Branch looks like he’ll be the starting slot cornerback this season, which has pushed C.J. Gardner-Johnson to safety and Tracy Walker to the second team. Walker is still a fine player, but man, the Lions just might have something special in Branch.
**** It's great that the Lions have quality options and depth at most Defensive positions. It's been a LONG time since this has been the case with the Lions. ****
-- Rookie linebacker Jack Campbell also enjoyed a nice pro debut, coming off the bench to lead the Lions with four tackles. He also had a really nice pass defense. Derrick Barnes looks like he might have a slight edge to start alongside Alex Anzalone to open the season, but Campbell is coming on strong, especially in pass coverage.
****Jack Campbell also caused a holding penalty on a blitz/ dog up the middle. Very impressive first pre-season performance by Campbell!****.
-- I opened the night thinking Julian Okwara was on the wrong side of the roster bubble, and I still think that. But there’s no doubt Okwara gave his roster bid a badly needed boost by shredding New York for three sacks, plus had another pressure that forced a throwaway. You just have to be careful about reading too much into stats that are racked up against third-teamers, many of whom won’t have jobs next month. In camp, Okwara has struggled, and it’s tough to see him making an edge rotation that is led by Aidan Hutchinson, Charles Harris, Josh Paschal, John Cominsky, James Houston and Romeo Okwara.
**** If Julian Okwara stays relatively healthy the next two weeks, I think the Lions would be making a mistake if he's released or traded for late round/ conditional type of compensation. ****
-- In all the hoopla around the rookies, including tight end Sam LaPorta, don’t sleep on James Mitchell. He was a terrific pass-catching tight end at Virginia Tech, but fell to the fifth round in the draft because he blew out his ACL in his final season in Blacksburg. He still did some good things after seeing the field late last season, then has quietly strung together a nice camp this summer. He enjoyed a nice opening night against New York too, catching three passes for 53 yards. LaPorta is expected to start at the position this season, but dropped his only target on fourth down.
**** For the most part, I thought James Mitchell was impressive in this game as a run blocker and overall as a blocker. Definitely a performance to build on. ****
-- Ross Pierschbacher earned the start at center, but left the game midway through the first quarter with an apparent left leg injury.
-- Nate Sudfeld, Derrick Barnes, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Will Harris served as captains for the preseason opener. Of note, Harris broke down the team huddle during warmups, then led the team back out onto the field. The veteran defensive back has become an anchor on special teams, and apparently stepped into a leadership role too. But then the game started and he committed two quick penalties, including a personal foul for facemasking.
**** While the penalties could be costly in a game that counts in the standings, I like the aggressiveness Will Harris displayed while trying to protect the edge. Harris needs to be more careful but it's evident that he's become a leader on the Lions. ****
This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions vs. Giants preview: Pre-Season Game # 1 ( 2023)
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1843/lions-giants-preview-season-game
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Observations: Lions win preseason opener, but show need for Teddy Bridgewater
Observations: Lions win preseason opener, but show need for Teddy Bridgewate
Published: Aug. 11, 2023, 10:10 p.m.
Detroit Lions vs. New York Giants: Preseason Game 1
By Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com
DETROIT -- He hasn’t laced up a cleat in this town yet, and Teddy Bridgewater might already be one of the most popular players in Detroit.
With Jared Goff and most of the rest of the starters in street clothes, backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld struggled badly in a 21-16 exhibition win against the New York Giants on Friday night at Ford Field. Sudfeld threw an interception on his first pass, was picked off twice overall, and led the offense to just three points on six drives before finally departing in the final seconds of the third quarter. He finished 15 of 28 passing overall for 194 yards, two interceptions -- both on passes to Jameson Williams -- and a frigid passer rating of 45.8.
The Lions didn’t score a touchdown until Maurice Alexander’s 95-yard punt return early in the third quarter, and didn’t score an offensive touchdown until third-string quarterback Adrian Martinez scored the game-winning touchdown on a third-and-goal run with 1:51 left.
Good thing Bridgewater is already under contract, because Sudfeld ain’t it.
The backup quarterback position has been a problem for a long time in Detroit, which still hasn’t won a game with a non-starter under center in more than a decade. General manager Brad Holmes finally secured an upgrade this week by luring Bridgewater to Detroit after a monthslong courtship. With the way Sudfeld played against New York, you can understand the sense of urgency to bring in a better option for this highly anticipated season.
The pain started right away for Sudfeld, who forced an ill-advised pass to a double-covered Williams while under duress on the first play of the night. Giants safety Jason Pinnock returned the interception to Detroit’s 32-yard line, where the Lions did a good job forcing a three-and-out, but the field position allowed New York to kick a field goal for a quick 3-0 lead.
Sudfeld had a fourth-down pass dropped by rookie tight end Sam LaPorta on the next drive, then was on a very different page from Williams on the drive after that, resulting in an errant football into nowhere. It was a disjointed start that got only marginally better after New York flooded the field with its third-team defense. Sudfeld threw a second pick deep in his own territory, leading to a New York touchdown one play later, and threw a bad ball on fourth-and-goal to conclude the first half.
**** Thankfully, Teddy Bridgewater is in the Lions fold. My lack of confidence in Nate Sudfeld, if called up in a regular season game, was reinforced against the Giants. While Sudfeld's supporting cast on Offense contributed to Sudfeld having a subpar performance, the Lions aren't going anywhere if Sudfeld is the Lions QB in games for an extended period. Unless Jared Goff or Teddy Bridgewater suffers a significant injury in the next two weeks, I don't think Sudfeld will survive the cutdown to 53. ****
Let’s get to some more observations from the first (unofficial) night of the season.
-- After two days of joint practices with New York, Detroit opted to rest almost all of its starters. The offensive lineup looked like this: QB Nate Sudfeld, WR Jameson Williams, WR Dylan Drummond, WR Antoine Green, TE Sam LaPorta, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, LT Matt Nelson, LG Darrin Paulo, C Ross Pierschbacher, RG Colby Sorsdal and RT Germain Ifedi.
**** Jahmyr Gibbs played more than I anticipated.
Germain Ifedi looked like by far the Lions best Offensive Lineman of those that started this game and the best overall Lions O-Line in the game. Ifedi only played RT but he clearly performed better than he did in practice (according to the practice reports I read).
Ross Pierschbacher was injured in the 1st QTR, after what looked like a below average performance. Piersbacher didn't return to the game. He was placed on Injured Waivers over the weekend. UDFRA Brad Cecil took his place and appeared to have performed at least somewhat better.****
And the defense, like this: DE Romeo Okwara, DT Brodric Martin, DT Isaiah Buggs, DE Josh Paschal, LB Derrick Barnes, LB Malcolm Rodriguez, CB Starling Martin V, CB Will Harris, CB Brian Branch, S Ifeatu Melifonwu and S Saivion Smith.
**** Romeo Okwara played extensively throughout the game. Including, on the game sealing drive. While Romeo Okwara played a good all around game, he's clearly on the roster bubble. His younger broher Julian Okwara stepped up with an enormously impactful game as a pass rusher. Julian has differential skills. Romeo depends greatly on effort and could easily be caught in a numbers game. The Lions edge player depth is impressive.
Starling Thomas V helped his cause both at CB and on Special Teams. He made two key blocks on the Punt Return TD by Maurice Alexander. ****
****
-- The Lions doused Jameson Williams in snaps, as promised. There just weren’t very many good ones. Williams might have played every offensive snap until finally leaving the game in the final seconds of the third quarter, but caught just two of his seven targets for 18 yards. Of course all those snaps came with Sudfeld, whose struggles were obvious. But you’d also like to see a 12th overall pick do a lot more at this point in his career, particularly while playing against the Giants’ backup secondary.
Williams did have a nice timing route with Sudfeld on a 2-point conversion, but also had another bad drop after he left Deonte Banks in his dust on a bomb inside the 10-yard line. That’s more of what we’ve seen throughout training camp. Williams is an athletic supermachine, capable of running away from anything and anyone at any time, but just remains such a work in progress in all the other ways that makes an NFL receiver great. He continues to struggle to produce consistently despite working mostly with the second team in practice, and couldn’t leave his mark against the end of New York’s bench on Friday night. Expect to see Williams play a lot against Jacksonville next week, as the Lions try to speed up his progress before the six-game suspension to open the regular season.
**** On the bright side, Jameson Williams did a good job as a blocker. As a receiver, despite the two point conversion play, which was a positive, Williams was a huge disappointment. He didn't get even close to the type of separation someone with his abilities should be getting. As a receiver, he needs to be much more focused, precise, and passionate than was the case in this game. ****
-- One bright spot for the offense was, no surprise here, Jahmyr Gibbs. The rookie was the best home-run threat on the field for Detroit during joint practices, then continued to look good during a limited pro debut, accounting for 37 yards on seven touches in one quarter of work. Gibbs is going to play a lot in the backfield while factoring heavily into the passing game this fall.
**** Jahmyr Gibbs was indeed a bright spot. His rushing and receiving skills were on display. His recognition abilities in pass pro need to improve but that's the norm for rookie RBs in the first pre-season game. ****
-- The biggest play of the night came on special teams, where Maurice Alexander earned himself some money by spinning out of two tackles en route to a dazzling 95-yard punt return for a touchdown. That was a huge play for the team, which was trailing 13-3 in the third quarter, as well as Alexander, a deep reserve at wide receiver. He’s made some outstanding catches in camp, but hasn’t been consistent enough to land on the right side of the roster bubble. It doesn’t help that the ink isn’t even dry on a two-year extension that will keep All-Pro punt returner Kalif Raymond in Honolulu blue through 2025. But Alexander is a good candidate for the practice squad -- if, of course, another team doesn’t claim him first.
**** A dropped 4th QTR pass doesn't help Maurice Alexander's cause to survive the cutdown to 53. He could realistically be claimed off waivers. However, it's likely the Lions will expose him to waivers, barring something substantial that changes the Lions roster battle landscape. ****
-- Another day where the sun rose in the east, another day where Brian Branch looked determined to make the league pay for not taking him in the first round. Branch racked up three quick tackles before taking an early seat on the bench, one of which was a soul-crusher in the backfield against Giants receiver Cole Beasley. Here, see for yourself.
**** Brian Branch certainly looks like a 1st Round caliber player. Tremendous play! The video can be seen by going to the link of the article at the beginning of the this thread message/ post. ****
For those unable to make it out to Allen Park this summer, well, this is Brian Branch. He’s been so good in coverage, on the blitz, against the run, whatever, wherever, whenever. It’s growing increasingly difficult to keep Branch off the field, and Detroit is no longer even trying. Branch looks like he’ll be the starting slot cornerback this season, which has pushed C.J. Gardner-Johnson to safety and Tracy Walker to the second team. Walker is still a fine player, but man, the Lions just might have something special in Branch.
**** It's great that the Lions have quality options and depth at most Defensive positions. It's been a LONG time since this has been the case with the Lions. ****
-- Rookie linebacker Jack Campbell also enjoyed a nice pro debut, coming off the bench to lead the Lions with four tackles. He also had a really nice pass defense. Derrick Barnes looks like he might have a slight edge to start alongside Alex Anzalone to open the season, but Campbell is coming on strong, especially in pass coverage.
****Jack Campbell also caused a holding penalty on a blitz/ dog up the middle. Very impressive first pre-season performance by Campbell!****.
-- I opened the night thinking Julian Okwara was on the wrong side of the roster bubble, and I still think that. But there’s no doubt Okwara gave his roster bid a badly needed boost by shredding New York for three sacks, plus had another pressure that forced a throwaway. You just have to be careful about reading too much into stats that are racked up against third-teamers, many of whom won’t have jobs next month. In camp, Okwara has struggled, and it’s tough to see him making an edge rotation that is led by Aidan Hutchinson, Charles Harris, Josh Paschal, John Cominsky, James Houston and Romeo Okwara.
**** If Julian Okwara stays relatively healthy the next two weeks, I think the Lions would be making a mistake if he's released or traded for late round/ conditional type of compensation. ****
-- In all the hoopla around the rookies, including tight end Sam LaPorta, don’t sleep on James Mitchell. He was a terrific pass-catching tight end at Virginia Tech, but fell to the fifth round in the draft because he blew out his ACL in his final season in Blacksburg. He still did some good things after seeing the field late last season, then has quietly strung together a nice camp this summer. He enjoyed a nice opening night against New York too, catching three passes for 53 yards. LaPorta is expected to start at the position this season, but dropped his only target on fourth down.
**** For the most part, I thought James Mitchell was impressive in this game as a run blocker and overall as a blocker. Definitely a performance to build on. ****
-- Ross Pierschbacher earned the start at center, but left the game midway through the first quarter with an apparent left leg injury.
-- Nate Sudfeld, Derrick Barnes, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Will Harris served as captains for the preseason opener. Of note, Harris broke down the team huddle during warmups, then led the team back out onto the field. The veteran defensive back has become an anchor on special teams, and apparently stepped into a leadership role too. But then the game started and he committed two quick penalties, including a personal foul for facemasking.
**** While the penalties could be costly in a game that counts in the standings, I like the aggressiveness Will Harris displayed while trying to protect the edge. Harris needs to be more careful but it's evident that he's become a leader on the Lions. ****
This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions vs. Giants preview: Pre-Season Game # 1 ( 2023)
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1843/lions-giants-preview-season-game