The Detroit Lions are without question one of the more intriguing teams heading into Week 2 of the 2015 NFL preseason. There are still quite a few question marks surrounding many positions on their roster, and they need some players to step up in a big way throughout preseason action in order to figure out how to fill those holes.
Jim Caldwell helped turn the Lions around last season, and got them into the postseason. Unfortunately, the Lions were unable to keep up stellar play in the playoffs and dropped their Wild Card game against the Dallas Cowboys. It was still a big step in the right direction, and they are hoping to build off of that momentum during the 2015 season.
Looking ahead at their second preseason game against the Washington Redskins on Thursday night, the Lions are without question going to come out with a lot of aggressiveness and will look to fill the voids in their roster that they have.
What five things do the Lions and their fans need to watch for against the Redskins on Thursday night?
1. Is Rookie RB Ameer Abdullah Legit?
One of the biggest surprises from the Lions’ first preseason game was rookie running back Ameer Abdullah. He ended his first NFL game with 67 yards on seven carries, which included a beautiful 45-yard run. Detroit is still looking for a player to step up as their starting running back, and Abdullah has to have a big preseason in order to steal the starting job away from veteran Joique Bell.
2. Greg Salas Continues Proving Himself
During the Lions’ first preseason game, wide receiver Greg Salas stepped up and tried to prove that he should be kept throughout the season and given some playing time. Salas ended up catching five passes for 92 yards and a touchdown against the New York Jets. That production will continue this season, and he will prove even more that he deserves a chance this season.
3. Who Will Step Up in the Pass Rush?
Detroit suffered a huge loss defensively when Ndamukong Suh chose to leave and sign with the Miami Dolphins. Against the Jets in Week 1 of the preseason, Detroit only came up with one sack total. That has to change moving forward, and someone needs to step up and prove that they can be a leader in the pass rushing on Thursday night.
4. Will a Playmaker Step Up in the Secondary?
One of the biggest issues over the past few seasons for the Lions has been the lack of playmaking in their secondary. This season they have a few players capable of stepping up and becoming that guy, but they have to show who they are during preseason action to earn the playing time. That is one of the big things that the Lions are going to be looking for this week, and it will be interesting to see if anyone in particular steps up.
5. How Does Matthew Stafford Play, and Who Is His Backup?
Stafford isn’t going to get much playing time this week, but there is no question that he was fun to watch completing his two passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. The bigger question and thing to watch for the Lions is who will step up to become his primary backup. Dan Orlovsky, Kellen Moore and Garrett Gilbert are the three options, although Orlovsky definitely had the best first preseason game of any of them.
