The Lions' special teams unit was tested early this season when punter Kasey Redfern, filling in for the injured Sam Martin (Non-Football Injury list), went down early with a knee injury in the team's Week 1 matchup, and did not return.
Kicker Matt Prater stepped up, adding punting and kickoff duties to his resume. Prater also drilled a 58-yard field goal with a fill-in holder, backup quarterback Jake Rudock, earning him NFC special teams player of the week honors.
Redfern's knee injury was season-ending, and while Prater filled in admirably, the Lions needed to bring in a punter. They didn't waste any time in doing so, signing Jeff Locke Tuesday afternoon. Now it's up to Locke to get in sync with his new teammates.
"We'll have our first live session today," Locke said in the locker room Thursday. "It's just going to take some reps, which luckily we kind of have that long week (playing on Monday night) to get ahead of it."
GETTING TO KNOW THE GIANTS
The New York Giants boast one of the best defenses in the league, and will be a good test for the Lions this week on Monday Night Football.
"Yeah, they've got a ton of talent," quarterback Matthew Stafford said Thursday. "I mean you look around, they've got two extremely good edge rushers, a really good, if not the best, interior run presence guy in the league, an all-pro safety and two maybe three all-pro corners. That's a pretty good start."
On offense, a lot depends on if wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. suits up for the Giants. He's listed as questionable on the injury report. Giants head coach Ben McAdoo said the official decision will come from the medical staff on Monday.
For Mike O'Hara's full scouting report on the Giants, click here.
ROOKIE WATCH
Last week's win over Arizona was the first time we got to see the 2017 draft class perform in a game that counts. Most of the rookies, anyways.
Second-round pick cornerback Teez Tabor was inactive for the game, but not because of anything he did wrong. It's simply a numbers game.
"There's nothing he's done, it's just what I think of the other guys, how they fit in the overall game plan," defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. "He's doing everything right and we'll see him at some point."
Austin also talked about linebacker Jarrad Davis, calling his debut 'outstanding for a young guy.'
"(He) really flew around," Austin said. "Physical. Really, he makes a difference in our defense in terms of our temperament and how we go, and that's something that your middle linebacker should do because he's really at the end of the day he's the quarterback of your defense."
Another rookie who stood was wide receiver Kenny Golladay. Golladay, who scored two touchdowns in his regular-season debut, is handling the spotlight by keeping his focus on the next matchup.
"You know you're going to get all the texts, all the highlights," he said. "I've got to say my thank-yous.
"But I've got to keep my head forward, keep it down, and get ready for the next week."
OTHER NOTEWORTHY ITEMS:
- It's only been one game, but safety Glover Quin likes what he's seen from the defense so far.
- You asked. Now watch safety Miles Killebrew answer your fan-submitted questions in this week's #AskALion.
- Watch guard T.J. Lang sit down with wide receiver Golden Tate for the second episode of Talking With T.J.
- Catch up on all the news from Teryl Austin's and Jim Bob Cooter's Friday press conferences.
