Lions camp observations: Offense, defense both deliver big plays in scrimmage; Bates struggles

Allen Park — Here are some observations from Friday’s Detroit Lions practice, the ninth of training camp.

● Lions coach Dan Campbell wanted to ramp up the intensity before his team hits the road for a pair of joint practices and a preseason game against the New York Giants. To do that, he put his team in a scrimmage setting to simulate the preseason environment.

It was clear from the jump the intensity was ratcheted up a couple degrees when nickel corner Emmanuel Mosely came on a run blitz the first full-team snap and blew up running back David Montgomery in the backfield.

That set the tone for a three-and-out for the first team defense, but only because quarterback Jared Goff was a touch long on a go ball to Jameson Williams. The speedy receiver had a couple steps on Moseley while angling from the left slot toward the sideline to that side.

The two first-team units reset for a second series where the offense found the end zone on a 15-yard post pattern from Goff to Daurice Fountain. The defensive line got plenty of pressure on the drive, with Alim McNeill and Aidan Hutchinson affecting the pocket throughout the series, but the QB was able to keep the chains moving, working a trio of balls to Amon-Ra St. Brown.