Skip to main content
Advertising

TIM AND MIKE: Mock game observations

Sloppy day: Matthew Stafford completed a 13-yard pass to Marvin Jones on the first play of the mock game at Ford Field Saturday as the No. 1 offense started against the No. 3 defense. His next pass, however, was right to cornerback Darrin Walls.

Not long after, drops by Golden Tate and Theo Riddick forced a three-and-out. There were a couple other instances of miscommunication between Stafford and his receivers as the game went on.

The offense scored in a two-minute drill right before the half on a touchdown from Stafford to Tate. They scored again in the second half when Stafford found tight end Cole Wick. But overall, it was a bit of a sloppy game for the first-team offense. – Tim Twentyman

Kicker's experience: A player's perspective is often different from a fan's – or media members – and that was the case on Matt Prater's 59-yard field-goal attempt. It looked good for a long time, and there was a groan from fans when it fell short of the crossbar by about a yard.

But Prater knew right away that the kick was short, saying: "As soon as I hit it, I stopped watching. I didn't hit it as well as I could." – *Mike O'Hara

*

Rookie mark: The top performance of the day was put in by undrafted rookie receiver Jay Lee (6-2, 211) out of Baylor. He was the favorite target of Dan Orlovsky with the second-team offense all game.

Lee finished with at least half a dozen receptions, including an acrobatic catch down the sideline on a deep ball and a 1-yard touchdown that came a play after he drew a 37-yard pass interference penalty in the end zone. – Tim Twentyman

Locked in: That's how the starting unit on the offensive line looked, based on the rotation. The same five players were together when the No. 1 unit was on the field – left tackle Taylor Decker, left guard Laken Tomlinson, center Travis Swanson, right guard Larry Warford, right tackle Riley Reiff. It's been that way since the start of camp. – Mike O'Hara

Gunner duo: Johnson Bademosi led the NFL with 17 special teams tackles last season while playing for the Browns, according to STATS, INC. Don Carey was tied for second with 16 for the Lions. During Saturday's mock game, Bademosi and Carey were the gunners on the first punt coverage team. Coupled with punter Sam Martin's hang time, that has potential to be a nice trio. – Tim Twentyman

Talking points: It was evident to everyone that the No. 1 offense was inconsistent most of the day. Matthew Stafford and Marvin Jones had a discussion on the way off the field after an incomplete pass on third down. – Mike O'Hara

Back-to-back: Rookie second-round pick A'Shawn Robinson flashed a bit of his potential in a two-play sequence right after the half. He had a tackle for loss to start the drive and recorded a sack of Matthew Stafford on the very next play to force 3rd and 19. Robinson still has a lot to learn, but he's a big, powerful man that appears to be hard to handle in the interior of the defensive line. – Tim Twentyman

Red flash: Ameer Abdullah flashed his speed on a second-down play. He got to the corner and turned up field for a six-yard gain to make it first and goal at the four-yard line. Abdullah is still wearing a red jersey that puts him off limits to contact, but he wouldn't have been touched on that play before gaining the first down. – Mike O'Hara

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.

Related Content

Advertising