8 Lions players who need a big game in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Bengals
The Detroit Lions have 8 players under the most pressure heading into Thursday’s preseason opener. For some, this game could decide whether they make the 53-man roster.
The Detroit Lions open their preseason schedule Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, and for a handful of players fighting for roster spots, this game carries enormous weight. With the 53-man roster cutdown looming, Thursday represents the best chance for some of these guys to put something on film and separate themselves from the pack. Let’s break it down.
QB Luke Altmyer
This is basically Luke Altmyer’s game. Josh Dobbs has had one practice with the Lions, and you can pretty much guarantee Altmyer is playing most of this one. He’s not going to get this shot again. At some point, Detroit might look to play Jared Goff in a preseason game, and at some point Dobbs is going to get more reps. Maybe they bring in another quarterback down the line. You never know.
Altmyer can go out there and have the game of his life and do the best he can to notch a spot on this team. Or he can have a horrible game, and that’s what everyone will remember him for. It’s a tough spot, but this is what happens when you’re an undrafted rookie third-string quarterback. You get this opportunity, you have to take it.
CB Ennis Rakestraw
I would be shocked if Rakestraw doesn’t play this game, and things are not going well for him at the moment. As Dan Campbell said on Monday, it’s all been up and down, and he needs to string some good days together. Here is his chance to show it on the field against another team.
We’ve never really gotten to see Rakestraw do this, at least not enough. You go back to last year’s Hall of Fame game before the injury, and there were some struggles. Now he’s going to get a chance to play against Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins. There are going to be some good players out there. If he gets a chance to go up against any of them, make a play. Here’s his chance to get off the in-danger section on our bubble pressure meter and try to get back into the watching or safe section. At this point, I’m leaning very close to him not being on the 53-man roster when the season starts. But he could change that with a big game Thursday night.
RB Jacob Saylors
With Sione Vaki out with a broken nose and Isaiah Pacheco out for presumably the rest of training camp and the preseason, Saylors is in an unbelievable spot right now. He could potentially nail down the running back 2 spot to start the NFL season, assuming Pacheco might not make it back for Week 1. What we’ve been told by Dan Campbell is that Pacheco is expected to be back Week 1. But just in case he’s not, Saylors could put himself in position to be the running back 2 for that game.
Even if Pacheco is back, Saylors could nail down a roster spot. I’m fully ready to place him at running back 3 on my 53-man roster prediction over Vaki. I’ve got Saylors in that third spot and Vaki on the practice squad. If he goes out and runs for 100 yards and a touchdown Thursday night against the Bengals, you could pretty much say it’s his job. I’m not saying that’s exactly what he has to do, but let’s see something tonight. Jabari Small and Kye Robichaux are both competing for that same spot, too. They’re going to get chances Thursday night as well. Let’s see if Saylors can outrun them.
DT Levi Onwuzurike
It’s been a while since Onwuzurike has been on the field after missing the entire season last year, and I assume he’s going to play in this game because he just needs reps. This is a big one because right now, Tyler Lacy has eaten his lunch. Ahmed Hassanein has eaten his lunch. There are guys ahead of him at the spot you’re used to seeing him in, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make this roster.
I assume Hassanein is playing, too, and Lacy is probably going to play as well. So what can Onwuzurike do to try to outshine both those guys who are ahead of him right now? Let’s see something from him tonight.
LB Joe Bachie
I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Bachie at training camp, and I have him marked as safe on our bubble pressure meter right now. That’s a pretty good spot to be. Every week at training camp, I’ve seen Bachie do something good, whether it’s a pass breakup, a sack, batting the ball down at the line of scrimmage, or just making good tackles. I want to see it in a game. Maybe it’s because I’m a Michigan State guy, but I am cheering for Bachie to make this team. I think he could do it. A good game Thursday night would help that.
Wide receivers Tay Martin and Dominic Lovett
The wide receiver 5 battle has been a ton of fun, and Thursday night is the night we could finally get some separation between these two guys. Right now I’m leaning towards Tay Martin on the 53-man roster because I think he’s got some really good special teams ability. Not to say Lovett doesn’t, but Martin is a little bit better in that area.
I want to see these guys on offense. I want to see them out there getting open, catching passes, and doing something with those catches. Show me some yards after the catch. Show me something. I’m doing my 53-man roster prediction on Friday, and I want to know who I’m putting in at wide receiver 5 by the end of this game.
OT Colby Sorsdal
Right now on our bubble pressure meter, I have Sorsdal with a must-have-a-big-week grade. The Lions don’t necessarily need a fourth tackle at this point. They’ve got Penei Sewell and Blake Miller, who is going to play Thursday night, plus Larry Borom as the swing tackle.
So when you’re thinking about a tackle 4, it’s important enough to consider carrying one, but it’s not 100% needed. Sorsdal has been on this team for a while as a Brad Holmes draft pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, and everybody kind of thought there was some upside there. We’ve yet to see it. He missed last year’s preseason and training camp with an injury, so we rarely get to actually watch him play. It’s all on you right now, man. Let’s see what you’ve got.
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