Free Press sports writer Rainer Sabin highlights the best and worst performances from the Detroit Lions' 17-13 win over the Washington Commanders in the team's second preseason game Saturday, Aug. 22, at Ford Field.
Lions winners vs Commanders
TE Jackson Meeks
Last season, Meeks was one of the stars of the preseason, leading the Lions in catches and receiving yards. Then an undrafted rookie free agent, he eventually latched onto the practice squad as a big-bodied wideout. Now, he is a tight end. The Lions began experimenting with Meeks at the position last year before he made a full transition this offseason. On Saturday, Meeks became a consistent outlet for quarterback Luke Altmyer. During a span of nine plays early in the second quarter, he hauled in three passes for 27 yards. Later,
Altmyer targeted Meeks with the Lions facing fourth-and-3 at Washington’s 32-yard line. Meeks converted, producing a 6-yard reception to extend a drive that resulted in a field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, Meeks made his mark again, forcing return specialist Robert Henry Jr. to fumble.
With Sam LaPorta’s status unclear as the regular season approaches, Meeks’ comprehensive performance Saturday could help him earn a spot on the active roster. His name was all over the stat box – and at the top of one section because he led all Lions in catches (four) and receiving yards (33).
“He continues to grow,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “I thought he did some really good things today. He made some critical plays.”
EDGE Derrick Moore
A mild groin strain temporarily sidelined Moore during training camp and he didn’t play in the preseason opener against Cincinnati. On Saturday, the second-round pick made up for lost time. Late in the second quarter, he pounced off the edge and blew past right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere before hunting down quarterback Sam Hartman. When he caught up to his target, the rookie defensive end whacked Hartman and jarred the ball loose. Washington recovered, but Moore had left a trail of damage in his wake.
“It felt good,” said Moore, the former Michigan star. “It was a good moment for myself.”
It was certainly Moore’s top highlight. But he made other subtle contributions. He was credited with one other pressure, per Pro Football Focus. He also stopped running back Kaytron Allen for no gain early in the third quarter.
“I feel like it was a good, decent day for me,” he said.
It was definitely a solid start.
DT Skyler Gill-Howard
There was no official tally. So, Skyler Gill-Howard didn’t know how many pressures he generated Saturday.
“I feel like I was back there a decent amount,” he said with a smile afterwards.
It certainly seemed that way.
The rookie defensive tackle, drafted in April's sixth round, was a disruptive force. In the first quarter, while working alongside some starting defenders, Gill-Howard made his presence felt. He broke through a wall of blockers and helped bring down Hartman behind the line of scrimmage, though the sack was wiped out by penalty. Despite that disappointing outcome, Gill-Howard forged ahead, continuing to create trouble for Washington. Soon thereafter, he forced his way between two linemen and pressured Hartman to release the ball early during a third-and-long situation. The pass was completed, but it didn’t produce nearly enough yards to extend the drive. As if Gill-Howard’s penetrating rushes weren’t enough, he supplied some solid run defense to boot. In one instance, early in the fourth quarter, he buried Allen for a 3-yard loss.
“He just is relentless and he plays snap to whistle,” Campbell said. “And he’s all out.”
Losers
QB Josh Dobbs
The top priority for a backup quarterback is to protect the football. Dobbs didn’t do that Saturday. On Detroit’s opening two possessions, he lost a fumble that resulted in a touchdown and threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted. Dobbs probably doesn’t deserve blame for the first turnover, which occurred on the second play from scrimmage. After all, the pocket collapsed quickly and Dobbs inadvertently ran straight into cornerback Amik Robertson, who knocked the ball from his grasp. It was a trainwreck of a play, and the offensive line was most culpable for causing the disaster that ensued.
But Dobbs deserves all the blame for the second giveaway. In an effort to avoid backside pressure, he rolled right and then threw across his body without setting his feet. The pass, which was directed toward the middle of the field, was picked off by Washington’s Quay Martin at the Commanders’ 45-yard lline. It was as bad a start as anyone could imagine. But Dobbs would recover. He scored on a 50-yard run off a read-option not long thereafter and led a seven-play touchdown drive late in the third quarter. But the interception sullied his outing. A veteran shouldn’t make that error. It looks even worse considering the Lions’ other quarterback, undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer, committed zero turnovers while playing eight more snaps.
[ Watch our Lions-Commanders live reactions show and look ahead to the regular season. ]
RT Colby Sorsdal
Sorsdal was out of sight and out of mind last year after suffering a serious leg injury last preseason. But he was hard to ignore Saturday, standing out for all the wrong reasons. A 2023 fifth-round pick, Sorsdal allowed one sack and multiple pressures in 47 snaps. Early in the second quarter, T.J. Maguranyanga zipped by Sorsdal and dropped Altmyer for a 9-yard loss deep in Lions’ territory.
He then was beaten on consecutive plays early in the second half. Jeffrey M’Ba outmuscled him and flushed Dobbs from the pocket, forcing an incompletion. Seconds later, D.J. Johnson zoomed right by him and hit Dobbs as he unleashed the ball. The pass was ultimately dropped by receiver Tay Martin and a promising drive quickly flatlined.
It was a rough sequence during a poor performance for Sorsdal, whose future with the Lions already seemed in doubt before Saturday.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin on X.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions winners and losers: Derrick Moore keeps bringing pass rush heat
