Detroit — Here are some Detroit Lions players who are trending up, down and staying level out of the team’s preseason matchup with the Washington Commanders.

Trending up: Defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard

The sixth-round pick saw more than 20 snaps, primarily in passing situations. He affected the pocket, registering multiple pressures, including a half-sack that was wiped out by a penalty away from the ball.

Gill-Howard also knifed into the backfield on one of his few run plays to drop the ball carrier for a 3-yard loss.

After a sluggish start to camp, the undersized lineman continues to rapidly gain positive momentum as the regular season approaches. His first-step quickness is proving problematic for opposing blockers.

Trending down: Cornerback Keith Abney

After spending the week of practice repping as the nickel corner with the first-team defense, the rookie defender had a rough showing against the Commanders. He allowed three completions on four targets, and the receiver had separation on the fourth, a sideline shot that was wide and uncatchable.

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Detroit — Whether it’s the playoffs, regular season or preseason, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell will never turn down a win.

His team’s ability to overcome a little adversity, consistently move the ball on the ground and play fundamentally sound defense didn’t hurt, either.

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After turning it over twice in the first five minutes of Saturday’s preseason contest with the Washington Commanders — including a fumble that was recovered in the end zone by the opposition — the Lions settled down to repel the visitors at Ford Field, 17-13.

Detroit ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, while holding the Commanders offense to nine first downs, six points and 243 yards of total offense.

Here’s a quick recap of the action:

Starters/Inactives

Offense: Josh Dobbs, Jacob Saylors, Isaac TeSlaa, Tay Martin, Brock Wright, Tyler Conklin, Blake Miller, Tate Ratledge, Juice Scruggs, Christian Mahogany and Larry Borom.

Defense: DJ Wonnum, Derrick Moore, Tyleik Williams, Levi Onwuzurike, Devin White, Derrick Barnes, Rock Ya-Sin, DJ Reed, Christian Izien, Avonte Maddox, Chuck Clark

Not in uniform: Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, Penei Sewell, Cade Mays, Ben Bartch, Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Payton Turner, Jack Campbell, Damone Clark, Jimmy Rolder, Thomas Harper

Scoring summary

First quarter

● 14:09 - On Detroit’s second offensive snap, former Lions cornerback Amik Robertson came on a blitz, delivering a big hit to Dobbs that forced a fumble. After both teams initially struggled to corral the bounding ball, linebacker Joshua Josephs eventually secured the fumble in the end zone for a Washington touchdown. COMMANDERS 7, LIONS 0

● 6:38 — Moving the ball to midfield with a pair of first downs, the Lions ran a zone read on third-and-3. When Washington’s end crashed on the back, Dobbs kept the ball around the left edge, picked up a key second-level block from Conklin and raced 50 yards for the tying score. LIONS 7, COMMANDERS 7

Second quarter

● None

Third quarter

● 8:45 — Washington opened the second half by going on a lengthy march into the red zone, but stalled out shy of the goal line after a false start penalty and an effective blitz by linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez on third-and-long rushed a short throw that was stopped short of the sticks. That led to a chip shot field goal for Drew Stevens to put Washington back up front. COMMANDERES 10, LIONS 7

● 0:09 — Taking over near midfield following a three-and-out and punt, the Lions needed just seven plays to take their first lead of the afternoon. Running back Trayveon Williams started the drive with a 24-yard screen pass and capped it with three straight carries, including a 1-yard score up the gut. LIONS 14, COMMANDERS 10

Fourth quarter

● 12:02 — After allowing a 55-yard bomb to wide receiver Nick Nash, the Lions buckled down and limited Washington to a 32-yard Stevens field goal. LIONS 14, COMMANDERS 13

● 2:26 — Inheriting the ball in Washington territory after a turnover on downs, the Lions offense killed more than four minutes off the game clock before extending their advantage to four with a 37-yard Jake Bates field goal. LIONS 17, COMMANDERS 13

Turnovers

● First, quarter, 14:09 — Dobbs coughed up the fumble that resulted in the touchdown early in the opening frame.

● First quarter, 11:31 — Rolling out of the pocket on a third-down snap, Dobbs overthrew Tay Martin on a crossbody throw, putting the ball into the chest of Washington safety Quan Martin for an interception.

● Fourth quarter, 2:15 — With the Lions holding a four-point edge, Jackson Meeks forced a fumble on a kickoff which was recovered by Detroit linebacker Eric Hunter at Washington’s 25-yard line.

Key stats

● The Lions rotated quarterback reps, with Dobbs handling the first and third quarters and undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer taking over for the second and fourth frames.

Dobbs completed 7-of-12 for 74 yards and the interception. He also had two carries for 53 yards, highlighted by the long touchdown.

Altmyer was poised, connecting on 9-of-13 for 86 yards without a touchdown or interception.

● Missing the team’s top three backs, the carries were split between four players. The newest member of the rotation, Williams, paced the group with 10 carries for 36 yards and a touchdown. He also added the 24-yard gain on the screen.

● Meeks led the Lions with four catches for 33 yards on six targets. Other players with multiple receptions included Conklin, Wilson and Lucky Jackson.

● Three Detroit defenders — D.J. Reed, Chuck Clark and Nick Whiteside — were credited with four tackles. Two of Reed’s stops were for a loss. In terms of sacks, rookie Derrick Moore and DJ Wonnum each got to Washington’s quarterbacks once.

Injuries

● Wide receiver Cedrick Wilson exited in the opening quarter with a leg injury. He limped off the field and was evaluated on the sideline for several minutes before being taken inside the locker room.

● Offensive lineman Michael Niese hobbled off the field late in the third quarter and was taken to the locker room via a cart a few minutes later.

Next game

Detroit will close its preseason slate against the Colts in Indianapolis next Saturday, Aug. 29, at 1 p.m.

Allen Park — The Detroit Lions come home to Ford Field for the second of the team’s three-game preseason slate on Saturday, when they host the Washington Commanders for a noon tilt.

The Lions are expected to play significantly more projected starters in this contest as they gear up for the regular season opener next month.

Here’s who we’ll be focusing on during the matchup:

Running back Sione Vaki (No. 33)

An encouraging offseason filled with developmental progress was temporarily paused by misfortune, when a defender’s hand slipped through Vaki’s facemask, resulting in an eye poke and a broken nose.

Now sporting a visor to prevent a repeat of the incident, Vaki made a surprisingly quick return to practice after missing less than two weeks. He’s jumped right back into reps with the first-team offense and has been running with authority between the tackles and showing enough speed to get the perimeter, like he did for a long gain during a full-team scrimmage on Monday night.

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Allen Park — The start of this decade was rough for a lot of us. Eric O’Neill was just another one of the world’s punching bags.

A high school senior at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of O’Neill’s final football season at Tottenville (N.Y.) was lost. With a lack of opportunities to showcase his ability, his college recruitment dried up, and some of the earlier offers he received were withdrawn.

Instead of continuing his football career at a Division I school, O’Neill was funnelled to a FCS program far closer to his Staten Island home, Long Island University.

At Long Island, things quickly bottomed out. The world kept punching and O’Neill wasn’t putting up his hands to deflect the blows.

His struggles started in the classroom. O’Neill will tell you he wasn’t the smartest kid, but listening to him talk years later, that doesn’t make sense. The bigger, self-admitted issues — effort and maturity — resulted in failing nearly every class during his first semester of college, tanking his GPA to an unsightly 1.0.

Those struggles and self-doubt carried to the football field. He was pinned to the bottom of the team’s depth chart, wasn’t meshing with the coaching staff, saw action in only three games and barely made a dent on the stat sheet.

A few months into his college experience, O’Neill confidence was shot and he was about done with all of it, ready to quit school and football. He didn’t necessarily lose his love for the game, it just felt easier to walk away before he was kicked off the team.

That’s when he got a lifeline that turned everything around.

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Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Thursday afternoon training camp practice.

● After a week of high-intensity practices, coach Dan Campbell opted to pull back on the team’s workload on Thursday, ahead of Detroit’s second preseason game on Saturday.

“Well, we had a really good day yesterday,” Campbell said. “Really, we've gotten a great week. The last three days that we've had padded practices, the day before that night practice — that day, the night practice, and then yesterday were outstanding, just the work that we have got, the situations we have got, the amount of reps. They're hard reps. They're under stress. They get tired, have to work with each other. You have got to stay on top of your fundamentals. I just thought it was great work.

“So, I'm pleased,” Campbell said. “(We’re) backing way off today. Shells, hour-long, a little bit in the red zone, just get the blood flowing, and then you can get them out of here.”

As it turns out, they didn’t even go the full hour. So, fair warning, these observations are going to be truncated.

● In terms of participation, it was mostly the same crew that remained sidelined. Isiah Pacheco, Sam LaPorta, Cade Mays, Ben Bartch, Damone Clark, Jimmy Rolder, Mekhi Wingo and Payton Turner remained out. The only new addition to the list was defensive back Thomas Harper.

In regards to LaPorta and Bartch, we got updates on both earlier in the day. LaPorta is nursing a hip injury and Bartch is in concussion protocol.

● Adding to concerns was an in-practice injury suffered by cornerback Ennis Rakestraw.

In coverage, Rakestraw went to the ground when attempting to change directions to match tight end Jackson Meeks’ route.

Rakestraw was tended to by a member of the training staff for several minutes, both on the field and again on the sideline before slowly making the long walk back into the facility under his own power.

After practice, the team confirmed Rakestraw is being evaluated for a lower-leg injury. With no access tomorrow, we might not have an update until Saturday’s game.

● Most of the practice focused on full-team work starting on the opponent’s side of midfield.

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Allen Park — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell met with local media ahead of Thursday’s practice, providing some newsworthy updates.

At the top of the list was an update on tight end Sam LaPorta, who was absent from the practice field a day earlier. It looks like he’ll be out for more than a few days while dealing with a hip injury.

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“So, Sam, the other night, he kind of got hit in the hip, and it just flared up a little bit,” Campbell said. “It's a little aggravated, but we feel good long-term about him. We're just resting it for a little bit here and letting it calm down.”

Campbell was asked if the injury could linger into the regular season and the coach wasn’t prepared to offer that kind of timeline.

“Well, I don't have an update,” Campbell said. “I don't know.”

LaPorta is coming off a season-ending back injury, which required surgery and temporarily caused him to lose feeling and strength in his leg.

The former Pro Bowler, who rewrote the franchise record books at his position as a rookie, is entering the final year of his contract and in line for an extension.

Continuing on the injury front, guard Ben Bartch is in concussion protocol. The veteran lineman, who only recently got full clearance from last year’s Lisfranc break and surgical repair, had been out the past two practices.

Bartch was expected to challenge Christian Mahogany for the starting left guard job this season, but his lack of practice time has essentially allowed Mahogany to secure the job.

“It's real hard to say that over four practices or whatever (Bartch can win the job),” Campbell said. “It doesn't mean he can't, but that window is shrinking right now. The most important thing is for him to get to where he feels right again and to where he can go, he's healthy, he feels good, and he can start practicing, and then we'll see. I mean, I think that window is closing quickly.”

Providing another injury update, Campbell said he doesn’t expect rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder to return to practice before the end of training camp at the end of this month. The former Michigan standout has been out since the first week of camp with a hamstring injury.

“Probably unlikely,” Campbell said. “He's doing well. I mean, he is progressing well, but I think it will be hard-pressed to see him next week.”

If Rolder isn’t cleared by the end of August, the Lions would have a decision to make. They could place him on injured reserve with a designation to return to begin the season, freeing up a roster spot. The downside to that approach is Rolder would be required to miss the first four games.

Alternatively, Rolder could be kept on the 53-man roster and would be able to practice and play as soon as he’s medically cleared.

Finally, regarding Saturday’s preseason game against Washington, quarterback Jared Goff won’t suit up. The start will go to veteran Josh Dobbs, who is expected to split the workload with undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer.

Dobbs hasn’t seen a lot of work on the practice field since signing with the Lions, but Campbell downplayed that inactivity. However the coach said the backup competition remains open.

“I think some of it is, look, Dobbs is a bright guy,” Campbell said. “He's played this league. But also, man, just making sure we got him up to speed, being true to that. And also, Luke's a young player, but he's promising. (We’re) trying to soak him with reps. So it's just kind of a little bit of that, but we'll get a look at Dobbs here and let him go.”

Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Wednesday afternoon training camp practice.

● Participation is trending in the right direction with a few players returning to action. Among those back in uniform were wide receiver Jameson Williams, cornerback Nick Whiteside, defensive tackle Myles Adams and offensive tackle Devin Cochran.

Still sidelined were running back Isiah Pacheco (knee), guard Ben Bartch, center Cade Mays (wrist), defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo (head), edge defender Payton Turner (back) and linebackers Jimmy Rolder (hamstring) and Damone Clark.

Joining the list of non-participants on Wednesday was tight end Sam LaPorta. That bumped Tyler Conklin up the rep chart, giving the veteran plenty of work with the first-team offense.

We’ll look to get updates on Bartch and LaPorta during coach Dan Campbell’s media session on Thursday.

● Full-team work opened with the offense pinned deep in their own territory, working a simulated drive.

On the first snap, rookie tackle Blake Miller did a nice job holding up Aidan Hutchinson, allowing quarterback Jared Goff to find Williams on a deeper curl.

Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw broke up the next throw, also intended for Williams, but Goff moved the chains with a pretty floater to St. Brown, over Rock Ya-Sin.

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The Detroit Lions have 13 days, five practices and two preseason games remaining before needing to set the team’s inaugural 53-man roster for the 2026 season.

Or, general manager Brad Holmes could easily surprise us again and keep fewer than 53 after leaving cutdown day with 50 players a year ago.

This deep into the offseason, we have a pretty good idea on the top 45 or so spots. That leaves a handful of ongoing position battles. Here’s my latest effort to distill what I’ve seen on the practice field and been hearing from coaches and teammates.

Quarterback (2)

In: Jared Goff, Josh Dobbs

Work to do: Luke Altmyer

What’s changed: Dobbs in, Teddy Bridgewater retired

Quick thoughts: Bridgewater’s retirement came as a surprise. He seemed to sleepwalk through OTAs, but had turned it on during the early stages of camp. In terms of the pivot to Dobbs, it was the logical choice at this stage of the offseason.

Altmyer has had a solid camp for an undrafted rookie, but Dobbs’ first throw in full-team work after re-signing with the Lions was better than any the rookie has made.

Altmyer has above-average athleticism and is reasonably accurate on short to intermediate routes, he just needs continued growth as a processor. Holding on to the ball a second too long in the NFL spells doom for quarterbacks.

It’s highly unlikely he gets claimed off waivers, allowing him to slide back onto the practice squad for continued development.

Running back (4)

In: Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco, Sione Vaki, Jacob Saylors

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Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Monday evening training camp practice.

● The Lions hosted an annual night practice in front of fans, running a full-team scrimmage for the duration of the session.

Let’s start with participation. Not practicing were running back Isiah Pacheco, wide receiver Jameson Williams, center Cade Mays, offensive tackle Devin Cochran, guard Ben Bartch, linebackers Jimmy Rolder and Damone Clark, cornerback Nick Whiteside, defensive tackles Mekhi Wingo and Myles Adams and edge defender Payton Turner.

Regarding Williams and Whiteside, who were out a second straight day, the receiver is dealing with a shoulder injury, while the corner tweaked a hamstring. Coach Dan Campbell downplayed the severity of both injuries. Williams was on the sideline during practice, animatedly supporting his teammates.

The only player who returned to action on Monday was running back Jacob Saylors, who missed a couple of days with a twisted ankle.

● On to the scrimmage. We’re going to go drive-by-drive here.

It was good-on-good with the first-team offense and defense battling, alternating series with the reserves matching up. For scoring purposes it was the first-team offense/second-team defense vs. the second-team offense/first-team defense. That matters because there was a defensive score.

● The defense set the tone early, with both the starters and backups combining to not allow a single first down through five possessions.

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Allen Park — As we enter a new week, and dip under two weeks until roster cutdowns, I wanted to weigh in on a few of the Detroit Lions’ developing situations.

Sifting through lineup combinations

When Dan Campbell announced starting center Cade Mays was going to be out for an extended period of time due to a wrist injury, the coach highlighted four candidates who could step in and fill the void.

That group included Juice Scruggs, Seth McLaughlin, Michael Niese and second-year right guard Tate Ratledge.

From the jump, Scruggs felt like the most logical solution. The Lions were high on his addition, picked up as part of the return for running back David Montgomery, initially thrusting him into the starting left guard competition.

When we had general manager Brad Holmes on the podcast in March, he was highly complimentary of Scruggs’ intangibles and his ability to play three spots, including center, which he demonstrated on tape while with the Texans.

And if you’re into PFF grades, Scruggs’ best stretch of his young career came during the eight starts he made at center in 2024.

However, it was McLaughlin who took all the first-team reps last week, and started the preseason opener, while Scruggs nursed a minor soft tissue issue.

There’s undeniable intrigue from fans in McLaughlin, the former Rimington Award winner as college football’s best center, who is less than two years removed from a torn Achilles that robbed him of critical rookie-year development.

By NFL standards, McLaughlin is average size for the position. By Detroit’s he’s on the small side. Frank Ragnow played between 315-320 pounds, and was additionally seen as one of the strongest players on the roster. Mays is listed at 325 and Scruggs is sitting at 320.

Here’s how Campbell described McLaughlin after the preseason debut, where he appeared to function well against the Bengals.

“Well, one of the things we talk about with Seth, he's not this enormous person,” Campbell said. “So, his niche is playing low. He's quick. He's super sharp and he's quick and he's really good at the second level. And then pass game is the anchor. He's just got to bend.

“In a lot of cases, he's got to do double what somebody else does that has more size or stature to him,” Campbell continued. “That's the hand he's dealt. I thought he did that the other night. I did think he anchored better. I thought he strained. I thought he tried to do all the little things and that's a credit to him. So, I certainly was not disappointed with him the other day.”

However, when the Lions returned to practice over the weekend, McLaughlin was back to working with the second-team offense. The top grouping was helmed by a rotation of Scruggs and Ratledge.

I’ll be the first to admit, I was dismissive of Detroit actually moving Ratledge from the right guard spot he played all four years at Georgia and every snap his rookie season. But the Lions seem to be legitimately considering the idea, so I have to put myself in their shoes and weigh the why.

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Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Sunday morning training camp practice.

● Daily participation report: Still no Isiah Pacheco (knee), Jacob Saylors (ankle), Cade Mays (wrist), Damone Clark, Jimmy Rolder (hamstring), Mekhi Wingo (head) or Payton Turner (back).

Joining them on the sideline, all with unknown ailments, were wide receiver Jameson Williams, cornerback Nick Whiteside and defensive tackle Myles Adams.

With Whiteside, I did see him come up limping after an individual rep on Saturday, reaching for the back of his leg, but he stayed in, so I didn’t get the sense it was serious.

Detroit also waived/injured two players on Sunday, cutting ties with safety Loren Strickland and running back Kye Robichaux. Both suffered injuries in the preseason opener, with Strickland pulling up lame in pursuit of a ball carrier and Robichaux suffering a broken bone in his foot.

If they go unclaimed off waivers by Monday afternoon, they’ll revert to Detroit’s roster and be placed on injured reserve.

To backfill those spots, the Lions signed running back Trayveon Williams and cornerback Ekow Boye-Doe.

Williams, who went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2019, has appeared in 75 NFL games, mostly with Cincinnati. He’s logged most of his work on special teams, but here’s a fun stat: He’s averaged more yards per carry, 4.8, than per game, 4.6, during his career.

The Ghanaian-born Boye-Doe has spent time the Chiefs, Giants, Cardinals and Defenders of the UFL, since going undrafted out of Kansas State in 2023. The speedy defender appeared in six regular season games and one postseason contest for the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs in 2023.

● The Lions tweaked two starting rotations on Sunday as they seek short-term solutions to bridge a trio of key absences.

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Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Saturday afternoon training camp practice.

● Let’s open with participation from the first practice following Thursday’s preseason opener.

Not practicing were running backs Isiah Pacheco, Jacob Saylors and Kye Robichaux, tight end Jackson Meeks, offensive tackle Devin Cochran, center Cade Mays, defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo, edge Payton Turner, linebackers Damone Clark and Jimmy Rolder and safety Loren Strickland.

Rolder (hamstring) and Cochran were working on the side with members of the training staff.

Most of those absences were injuries lingering from last week, while Saylors, Robichaux, Meeks, Wingo and Strickland were banged up during the contest against Cincinnati.

According to coach Dan Campbell, Robichaux’s injury sounds like a long-term deal.

“God bless him, dude, he got a foot (injury),” Campbell said. “Looks like he may have broke a bone in that foot. He's been so dang durable all camp, played his heart out. He's another guy who just gives you everything he's got, maximizes everything.”

According to Friday night reports, the Lions are adding veteran running back Trayveon Williams to add depth to the depleted room, but he wasn’t practicing with the team on Saturday.

On the other side of the injury equation, the Lions got six players back in the mix. Edge defender Derrick Moore (groin), linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle), cornerback DJ Reed (groin), offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, and running backs Sione Vaki (broken nose) and Jabari Small (knee) all practiced and participated in individual and full-team work.

● Notably, Scruggs immediately jumped into first-team reps at center. Seth McLaughlin probably did enough in the preseason opener to keep it an open competition, but it remains Scruggs’ job to lose while Cade Mays is out.

Here’s what Campbell had to say about McLaughlin’s performance against the Bengals on Thursday.

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Cincinnati — Your eyes can be drawn a million different directions during the preseason, while the bottom two-thirds of the roster scrap for jobs and roles. However, given the Detroit Lions’ effort to upgrade their offensive line this winter, that’s where we’ll center our first tape study of the 2026 season.

The Lions struggled to put points on the board in the opening contest, but the team had the ball in Bengals territory half of their dozen possessions. That suggests a higher level of success than the final score might suggest.

The Bengals played most of their starters. The Lions did not. Among those taking a seat were All-Pro left tackle Penei Sewell and second-year guard Tate Ratledge. Additionally, starting center Cade Mays is out the next several weeks with a wrist injury and backup Juice Scruggs is battling a shorter-term soft-tissue concern.

Still, there was plenty to observe with the starting five up front, headlined by first-round pick Blake Miller, the team’s projected Week 1 starter at right tackle.

He was joined by Larry Borom on the blindside, 2025 fifth-round pick Miles Frazier at right guard, last year’s starter Christian Mahogany at left guard and Seth McLaughlin, the 2024 Rimington Award winner as college football’s best center, handling the snapping duties.

That’s not a group that had meaningfully practiced together, so chemistry was predictably underdeveloped. Regardless, here’s what we saw with the individual performances, going right to left across the line.

Miller

It was a mixed bag for the rookie, but more good than bad in the debut.

On the opening drive, he set a good tone early with a strong punch and latch against edge defender Myles Murphy, maintaining a wide pocket for quarterback Luke Altmyer to convert a third down with an 8-yard swing pass to running back Jacob Saylors.

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Cincinnati — Here are some Detroit Lions players who are trending up, down and staying level out of the team’s preseason matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Trending up: Ahmed Hassanein

Has any player generated more positive press this training camp than the former sixth-round pick out of Boise State? Everything we’ve been telling you about the second-year lineman was on display against the Bengals, starting with finding a lane on a stunt for a drive-ending sack of starting quarterback Joe Burrow.

Hassanein added a second, strip sack in the red zone, and had another QB hit that nearly resulted in an interception. He’s playing like a man who won’t be denied.

Trending down: Isaac TeSlaa

The second-year wide receiver’s summer struggles are another story that unfortunately carried from the practice field in camp into Paycor Stadium.

On the game’s opening series, with the Lions driving into Bengals territory, the drive came to a screeching halt when TeSlaa let a slant dart through his hands into his facemask, resulting in an interception.

TeSlaa also failed to hold on to a reasonably well-placed ball on fourth-and-3, killing a second drive on the opponent’s side of the field.

I asked Dan Campbell if he needs to offer TeSlaa any words of encouragement to prevent the struggles from spiraling and the coach said he wasn’t concerned because of the young receiver’s drive to be great. Campbell said it’s only a matter of time before TeSlaa strings together a few good plays in practice and the pendulum swings back up.

Staying level: Blake Miller

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Cincinnati — Blame it on the rain, if you must, but Thursday’s preseason opener between the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals was a sloppy affair, regardless of the first-half precipitation.

Detroit didn’t find the end zone until the closing minutes of the fourth quarter and turned it over three times in the 16-14 loss to Cincinnati.

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The Bengals, who played their starters against a Lions squad that rested nearly all of their key pieces, scored first with and opening-quarter field goal and never relinquished the lead.

Here’s a quick recap of the action:

Starters

Offense: Luke Altmyer, Jacob Saylors, Isaac TeSlaa, Cedrick Wilson, Jackson Meeks, Tyler Conklin, Larry Borom, Christian Mahogany, Seth McLaughlin, Miles Frazier, Blake Miller

Defense: Anthony Lucas, Tyler Lacy, Chris Smith, Levi Onwuzurike, Devin White, Joe Bachie, Trevor Nowaske, Chuck Clark, Thomas Harper, Ennis Rakestraw and Nick Whiteside

Scoring summary

First quarter

● 3:42 — Beginning at their own 30-yard line, the Bengals’ starting offense picked up a pair of first downs before stalling. Lions rookie edge defender Eric O’Neill got a lick on quarterback Joe Burrow on a third-and-4 snap, leaving Cincinnati to settle for a 56-yard Evan McPherson field goal. BENGALS 3, LIONS 0

Second quarter

● 9:35 — Two snaps after recovering a fumble deep in Detroit territory, no one picked up Bengals tight end Jack Endries as he reversed his motion on a play-action snap. Quarterback Joe Flacco made the easy flip to the open man after the fake handoff for the 4-yard touchdowns. BENGALS 10, LIONS 0

● 0:34 — A clunky, nine-play 41-yard drive, fueled by a 27-yard Saylors’ romp, ended with a 41-yard Jake Bates field goal. BENGALS 10, LIONS 3

● 0:00 — Detroit’s defense took over on downs with seven seconds remaining in the half after defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard forced an intentional grounding on fourth-and-7 near midfield. The Lions got a little closer with a 9-yard Saylors run, setting up a 52-yard boot for Bates as time expired. BENGALS 10, LIONS 6

Third quarter

● 6:55 — The Bengals converted a pair of third-and-longs, but on third-and-5 from Detroit’s 7-yard line, Ahmed Hassanein got the edge for a second sack, quelling the threat. McPherson knocked home a 33-yard field goal to push the lead back to a touchdown. BENGALS 13, LIONS 6

Fourth quarter

● 10:31 — A 14-play drive that started at their own 12-yard line and had three third-down conversions still ended in a McPherson field goal, this time from 41 yards. BENGALS 16, LIONS 6

● 1:28 — Capping a 12-play, 80-yard drive, Altmyer found Tarik Black on a shallow crossing pattern and the receiver found open space down the right sideline for a 24-yard score. Altmyer ran in a 2-point conversion to slice the lead to two, but Detroit couldn’t recover the ensuing onside kick. BENGALS 16, LIONS 14

Turnovers

● First quarter, 12:44: A slant intended for TeSlaa went through the receiver’s hands and hit him in the face. The deflected ball popped into the air where it was intercepted by Bengals safety Jordan Battle.

● Second quarter, 10:37 — Running up the middle of his offensive line, Bengals running back Kendall Milton stumbled and dropped the ball. That fumble was scooped up by Lions nickel corner Keith Abney.

● Second quarter, 10:21 — Two snaps after Abney’s recovery, there was a botched handoff between Altmyer and Saylors, resulting in Bengals edge defender Cassius Howell jumping on the loose ball at Detroit's 7-yard line.

● Fourth quarter, 0:16 — On the first play of a last-gasp drive, Altmyer overshot Dominic Lovett and was intercepted by safety Russ yeast.

Key stats

● Playing most of the game, Altmyer completed 13-of-22 for 130 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was also assessed with losing a fumble. Josh Dobbs, who played two series in the first half, completed four-of-eight for 32 yards and chipped in a 9-yard scramble.

● Saylors paced the offense, racking up 83 yards from scrimmage with eight carries and a trio of receptions.

● Dominic Lovett was the only other Lions player with more than two catches, hauling in three balls on eight targets for 29 yards.

● Defensive backs Aamaris Brown, Rakestraw and Abney each tallied five tackles.

Injuries

● Rakestraw left with an unknown injury in the second quarter. He took a friendly fire shot from linebacker Devin White, which left the corner’s arm hanging limp. A couple snaps later, Rakestraw stayed down after making an open-field tackle, went to the locker room and didn’t return.

● Defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo and safety Loren Strickland also exited with injury.

Next game

Detroit continues the preseason at Ford Field next Saturday at noon against the Washington Commanders.

Allen Park — It’s been more than 200 days since the Detroit Lions have played a football game. On Thursday, the team returns to action for their preseason opener against the Bengals in Cincinnati.

Outside of the small percentage of fans who have attended a training camp practice, this will be the first chance most get to lay eyes on the 2026 squad. Well, at least the ones who will play. Many starters aren’t expected to suit up for the contest.

Still, there’s plenty at stake, as dozens of players are fighting for jobs and roles. It would be reasonable to highlight any of them, but we narrowed the list down to 10 that we feel merit extra attention.

Defensive lineman Ahmed Hassanein (No. 99)

During Tuesday’s practice, I joked with another reporter that I could turn “Players to Watch” into a comedy bit, simply listing Hassanein 10 times.

The 2025 sixth-round pick is popular enough that the hyperbole might have gone over well, but I wouldn’t want to leave you wanting for meaningful information.

Here are the two most important things you need to know about Hassanein:

First, he’s playing a different position this year. He’s still an edge defender, but more of a big end. What does that mean? Instead of lining up wide of the offensive tackle’s outside shoulder, he’s now more directly over the tackle pre-snap, typically between a defensive tackle and a wider, outside linebacker along the line of scrimmage.

This is a better use of Hassanein’s strengths, which include his burst, power and snap-to-whistle relentlessness. It also de-emphasizes bend, which is logical given his subpar ankle flexibility.

The second thing to note is his body transformation. He’s around the same weight — 275 pounds — but far leaner. He told me he dropped from 36% body fat to 19% after spending the offseason working with Aidan Hutchinson’s trainer.

The results from those two changes have been impactful. Hassanein has been one of the top defensive playmakers in camp, working with the second- and third-team groupings. Now, he’ll have an opportunity to do it against a different opponent, with an aim of preserving the momentum he’s built toward claiming a roster spot.

Offensive tackle Blake Miller (No. 76)

Detroit’s first-round pick is on track to be a Week 1 starter, having taken nearly all the first-team reps at right tackle since the start of camp.

Miller’s performance has been up and down. That’s hardly unusual for a rookie, even a first-rounder. I’ve been comparing it to another former Lions offensive lineman, Larry Warford, who had a brutal first camp while regularly working against Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley.

With Warford, those reps battle-tested him early, so by the time he got to the regular season, he was ready for anything that was thrown his way. He was really good for Detroit across four seasons before going to New Orleans and earning a trio of Pro Bowl selections.

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Allen Park — Two weeks into training camp for the Detroit Lions, there have been key injuries, some standout performances and an abrupt retirement.

As the team prepares for its preseason opener, let’s do a roster reset, looking at expectations from the start of camp and how things have developed at each position.

Backup QB

How it started: There was a clear, established pecking order entering camp. Teddy Bridgewater was brought in for a third stint to back up starter Jared Goff, with undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer rounding out the depth chart as a potential developmental option.

How it’s going: Things were temporarily upended this week when Bridgewater opted for retirement a second time, with this one likely to be permanent. Moving quickly, the Lions came to terms with veteran Josh Dobbs the same day Bridgewater’s decision was formalized.

The signing was predictable. If the primary jobs for a backup are providing an extra set of eyes for the starter and being able to capably steady the ship in an injury situation, there’s a built-in trust with Dobbs, who has worked with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing at two different stops and has appeared in 27 games.

Altmyer is doing what he can to take advantage of the opportunity, but there is an understandable reluctance to thrust him into the No. 2 role behind Goff on a team that anticipates being a Super Bowl contender.

Altmyer figures to get a boatload of reps in the preseason, and maybe all of them in the opener against Cincinnati, so we’ll see if he’s able to strengthen his case. However, it’ll be a steep uphill climb to overtake Dobbs or even command consideration for a spot on the 53-man roster.

“He was put in some really tough positions for a young player that you absolutely have to be put in,” coach Dan Campbell said about Altmyer this week. “You’ve got to be thrust in it and really you need to fail. You need to make mistakes so that you can grow. And we thought he handled it really well. We did. There were some things. He had a delay of game, there were a couple of misreads, but, man, that’s part of growth. What you feel like right now — we’ll know a lot more when we get in the games — is it doesn’t feel too big to him right now. That’s a great sign at that position. So, we’ll see. He’s got a long way to go and he just needs a million reps.”

Where it’s headed: Dobbs almost certainly ends up QB2, while Altmyer figures to initially land on the practice squad as the Lions continue to evaluate his long-term viability as a backup.

Running back

How it started: Superstar Jahmyr Gibbs reported to camp, but opted not to participate until he secured an extension . That led to Isiah Pacheco and Sione Vaki splitting the first-team reps the first several days.

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Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Tuesday morning training camp practice.

● The final day of work before the team’s preseason opener on Thursday, the non-padded session was closed to the general public. Instead, the team hosted approximately 2,500 people from more than 50 community groups tied to the team’s inspire change initiative and the Detroit Lions foundation.

In terms of inactives, it was largely the same list that it’s been for the past few days. The only new absence was cornerback and ace special teamer Khalil Dorsey. That was offset by the return of safety Avonte Maddox, who was sidelined on Monday.

Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) and rookie defensive end Derrick Moore (groin) appear to be making steady progress toward returning after Thursday’s game, going through workouts off to the side with a member of the team’s training staff.

Meanwhile, safety Kerby Joseph hasn’t been spotted for a few days. I asked coach Dan campbell about the former All-Pro’s progress and learned Joseph is away from the team to address a personal matter. His rehab remains on track and the team is continuing to target an early-season return to action for the defender.

● For one-on-one work, my attention went to the receivers vs. the cornerbacks. Here’s a recap:

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Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Monday morning training camp practice.

● As always, let’s start with participation and injuries.

Including the three players on official injury lists (Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph and Giovanni Manu), the Lions were down 15 players on Monday.

Also sitting out were running backs Isiah Pacheco and Sione Vaki, center Cade Mays, offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, linebackers Damone Clark, Malcolm Rodriguez and Jimmy Rolder, cornerback DJ Reed, safety Avonte Maddox, defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina and edge defenders Derrick Moore and Payton Turner.

Unquestionably, the biggest news from Monday is that Mays will be shelved for at least the next couple of months with a wrist injury. Additionally, we learned that Pacheco is dealing with a strained MCL, but he’s expected to be back before the start of the regular season.

Maddox was the other new name on the list. It’s not known what the veteran defensive back is dealing with at this time.

Returning to action were defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson. Ahmed Hassanein was also back on the field after exiting on Sunday with an ankle sprain.

In terms of in practice injuries, backup offensive tackle Devin Cochran went inside early with a trainer and running back Jabari Small has been pushing through a left leg issue the past several days, which is clearly nagging him.

● OK, buckle up, there was a ton of full-team work with the Lions back in full pads after a day off and a non-padded practice over the weekend.

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Allen Park — The Detroit Lions prioritized upgrading its offensive line this offseason, particularly the center position, but those plans took a significant blow over the weekend when Cade Mays suffered a wrist injury that will sideline him well into the regular season.

“He will be out for a significant period of time,” Campbell said. “He will be back for the season at some point, but it will be down the road.

Campbell declined to put a more detailed timeline on the absence, only stating he was confident Mays would be back for the playoffs.

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The injury occured during a pass protection snap in practice, when a defensive lineman attempted to get around the center and chopped across Mays’ arm.

“It’s one of those freak things,” Campbell said.

The loss of Mays, who was brought in to replace Graham Glasgow, will force Detroit to dig into its depth to find new starting and backup solutions.

Among the top options is Juice Scruggs, who was acquired in an offseason trade that sent running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans. The former second-round pick started 13 games at center in 2024.

It also opens the door for Seth McLaughlin, the former Rimington Trophy winner at Alabama who spent much of 2025 recovering from a torn Achilles.

Campbell also indicated that the team will revisit Tate Ratledge as the snapper after testing last year’s second-round pick at that spot in the early stages of his first offseason with the team.

Scruggs is currently sidelined by a minor soft tissue injury. McLaughlin is expected to handle the majority of first-team reps during the team’s Monday practice leading into the preseason opener on Thursday.

“You hate it,” Campbell said. “I hate it for (Mays) because I felt like he was having a good camp and he’d grown so much in our system, just in spring. So, in that regard, yeah. And for us, too. But at the same time, there again, there’s a reason why we have Juice here, too, and some of these other guys, you know? And they’re going to get a look. You brought up McLaughlin. He’s going to get an opportunity. That’s the best way to find out on some of these guys. That’s all you can ask for.

“It’s like, man, it’s your shot, let’s see where we can go with it,” Campbell said. “But we’ve got options. …Look, we’re going to find the best five. We will find the best five. And we’re trying to find that before (the season) starts, but, look, if this goes into the season, it does. But at some point, we will find the best five and where they belong, and they’ll be ready.”