Canton, Ohio – The Detroit Lions kicked off their preseason slate Thursday night in the Hall of Fame Game and fell to the Los Angeles Chargers, 34-7.
All three phases struggled at times, which is why the final score was so lopsided, but there were some good performances mixed in there too despite the final tally.
Here are five players who stood out to me:
1. RB CRAIG REYNOLDS
The sixth-year veteran started the game with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery getting the night off and I thought he ran hard and showed why he's been a reliable No. 3 back for this football team the last four years.
Reynolds rushed 10 times for 38 yards with a long of 13 yards and scored Detroit's only points on a tough 3-yard touchdown run. He was good in the protection game and also caught one pass for 10 yards. The Lions would have no problem turning to him for a lead back role if needed. He's averaged better than 4.0 yards per carry in each of the last four seasons with the club.
2. WR ISAAC TESLAA
The rookie caught two passes for 46 yards, but they were back-to-back catches of 24 and 22 yards to begin a drive that got the offense into scoring position before an interception ended the drive.
His first reception was a nice call against zone defense by OC John Morton to free him up in space. The rookie made a nice move on the defensive back on his second catch and showed off his speed creating space as he crossed the field. The coaches like his size, speed and catch radius and it was good to see him make a couple plays early. He also had a nice gunner rep that forced a fair catch on a punt. The third-round pick has had a nice start to camp.
3. CB ROCK YA-SIN
Cornerback might be the deepest position group currently on the roster and it's nice to have a seven-year veteran with 79 games and 39 starts under his belt on the team. Ya-Sin isn't afraid to stick his nose in on the run game and he showed that Thursday making a couple nice plays on the edge. He also played solid in the pass game.
He and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. made the start at the two outside cornerback spots and I thought Ya-Sin was solid in both phases of the game all evening.
4. WR DOMINIC LOVETT
The rookie seventh-round pick had a drop early and couldn't come down with a 50-50 ball from quarterback Hendon Hooker late in the game but in between showed the ability to get open in the slot and make some plays. He finished with five receptions for 31 yards on nine targets.
He was also solid on special teams in the return and cover aspects of the game. He had a nice 19-yard punt return that showed off his vision and open-field running ability.
5. LB ANTHONY PITTMAN
The Lions have a number of players who are depth pieces on offense or defense who are expected to be core special teamers for this football team. Players like Reynolds, Grant Stuard and Sione Vaki come to mind right away.
The veteran Pittman is another player who plays high-level special teams but has also been able to step in on defense and fill a void when needed. Pittman's played in 56 games over a five-year career. He was one of Detroit's more productive players on defense Thursday, finishing with six tackles (four solo) and two tackles for loss.
