By Michael Stets
DETROIT–The Lions annual mock game took place at Ford Field on Saturday morning, giving the team a chance to get acclimated to playing in front of a crowd and executing plays during situations that will occur during the regular season. There was no live tackling and a rolling clock kept the pace moving as the starters, rookies, and backups took to the field in front of a crowd just short of 27,000 faithful Lions fans.
“This gives us an opportunity to get a flow of a game, so we’ll come out and do things exactly like we would in pregame but only a lot faster, so they all get accustomed to it,” said head coach Jim Caldwell just prior to kickoff.
Some players stood out in good ways during today’s game, while others did not.
The left tackle position remains a huge issue. And whether it’s Greg Robinson or Cyrus Kouandjio–who are both splitting reps with the first-team offense–they both pale in comparison to the injured Taylor Decker, who is currently on the PUP list while recovering from shoulder surgery from the injury he suffered during OTAs. Both were beaten for sacks on multiple occasions by defensive ends Anthony Zettel and also Jordan Hill. And with the regular season a little over a month away, it’s legitimate cause for concern.
Lions guard T.J. Lang, who signed with the team in March, says both tackles are steadily improving, though.
“I think they are both getting better every day. It’s good to watch them go out there and compete,” said Lang. “Both of them kind of bring a little something different to the table. Greg, I think, has a little bit more experience. Cyrus is still learning a lot, but they are both playing pretty good football. They are competing and getting better. Once we get into the games, I think playing against real opponents and what not … hopefully one of them starts to separate themselves a little bit.”
Matthew Stafford threw an early interception to Darius Slay, but after that, he looked sharp, completing 11 passes overall to several different receivers and hooking up with Marvin Jones for his lone touchdown pass on the day. Prior to the game, Lions GM Bob Quinn was interviewed by Dan Miller and said the contract negotiations with Stafford have a “long way to go, yet” but he’s “confident’ a deal will get done with the ninth-year quarterback, who is entering the final year of the three-year extension he signed in 2013 worth $53 million. Stafford did speak to the media after the game, but declined to talk about his contract situation.
The Lion’s kick and punt return units looked outstanding, especially rookie cornerback Jamal Agnew, who is making a strong bid to lock up the punt returner gig. Agnew, the fifth-round draft pick out of San Diego, caught his second punt of the day and took it the distance for a touchdown.
“I caught the ball and I just saw the wall setting up,” Agnew said. “The punt-return team did a really good job setting it up. [Special teams coach] Joe [Marciano] is the mastermind behind it all. There’s a method behind his madness, so we followed the script and it ended up paying off in the end.”
The method?
“Just get your blocks,” he said. “Get your work done early and hit the hole. That’s what the return is supposed to be.”
Agnew wasn’t the only special teams standout. Second-year running back Dwayne Washington opened the game with a long kick return, and Matt Prater nailed two long field goals. One from 55 yards out, the other from 56. Prater did come up short on another 55-yarder, but the 12-year pro looks like he’s in regular-season form.
The battle in the back end of the wide receiver rotation has already been highly competitive during the first few days of training camp, and after today’s mock game, it’s really starting to ratchet up. Jace Billingsley led all receivers with six catches. Jarred Abbrederis hauled in four receptions, and TJ Jones caught a touchdown pass, although he did have a glaring drop during the game. This battle is going to come down to the last days of camp and those involved are already starting to feel the intensity.
“Competition is key,” said Abbrederis. “It was like that last year when I was with Green Bay. We had like seven or eight guys going into camp that could make the team. When you have competition it just makes you play better. That’s what you want. I mean, you want everybody firing on all cylinders. When one guy does good it makes everyone else and the level of play that much more.”
He added: “It’s [The level of competiton] been up there the whole time. Players have been making plays. Guys like Noel Thomas have been killing it in camp. Guys at all levels from rookies to veterans have been really doing a good job. So it’s about being consistent.”
Billingsley, who led all Lions receivers last preseason after joining the team as an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Oregon, also weighed in on the wide receiver competition.
“We are all rooting for each other too,” said Billingsley, who spent the majority of 2016 on the practice squad. “So, we have a great group of guys and, obviously, we are trying to put the best we have on tape this preseason and hopefully it works out for all of us whether it’s staying here or finding other teams. We are just going to do our best and have fun.”
The Lions running backs, Ameer Abdullah, who missed 14 games last season with a foot injury, and Theo Riddick, who is still donning the red no-contact jersey as he recovers from double-wrist surgery, both looked fantastic on Saturday. Abdullah has looked great since the start of camp and he continued his stellar play with quick and decisive runs, showcasing his speed, cutting ability, and strong burst upfield. Riddick, who’s had a strong training camp so far too, hauled in a short pass in the flat and juked linebacker Tahir Whitehead, making him whiff badly, for his best play of the game.
The Lions avoided losing any starters during the game, which happened last year when Eric Ebron injured his ankle. However, reserve cornerback Des Lawrence had to be carted off early on due to injury. The team will resume practice on Sunday afternoon.