Free Press sports writer Rainer Sabin highlights the best and worst performances from the Detroit Lions' 25-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the team's preseason finale Saturday, Aug. 29, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Winners
QB Josh Dobbs
Last weekend, in the Lions’ second preseason game, Dobbs authored an uneven performance featuring two turnovers, including an ill-advised pass that resulted in an interception. But on Saturday, the veteran backup excelled from start to finish. He completed 15 of 19 attempts for 128 yards and two touchdowns. During a 16-play scoring drive in the second quarter, he delivered one clutch pass after another, helping the Lions convert three times on third down and once on fourth. Not long after, he spearheaded a two-minute
march at the end of the half, setting up a touchdown with a pinpoint 35-yard strike to Lucky Jackson that took Detroit to the edge of Indianapolis’ end zone. If there were any doubts Dobbs was the Lions’ QB2, he did his part to extinguish them Saturday.
WR Lucky Jackson
Among the three former UFL receivers vying to make the Lions roster, Tay Martin was the clear favorite heading into the weekend. In training camp, he had distinguished himself on offense and special teams, earning praise from head coach Dan Campbell in the process. But none of Martin’s three preseason auditions were as noteworthy or impactful as the one Jackson produced Saturday. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound wideout contributed a team-high five catches and 94 receiving yards, snatching each pass thrown his way. The stat line was even more impressive considering it was cobbled together after Jackson made an early blunder. On the Lions’ first possession, he appeared to run the wrong route, which helped sow the seeds for an interception thrown by Luke Altmyer. Jackson shook off the mistake and then spent the remainder of the first half torching the Colts’ secondary. On the 35-yard pass from Dobbs, Jackson beat Robert Carter Jr. off the line and then plucked the ball out of the air with one hand. It was Jackson’s best highlight during an outstanding performance.
RB Jacob Saylors
The depth at running back has been a concern ever since veteran backup Isiah Pacheco suffered a sprained MCL in his knee in early August. But Saylors has done his part to quell some of the unease within the Lions’ ranks. On Saturday, he again showed he is capable of spelling Jahmyr Gibbs, netting 100 rushing yards on 17 carries against the Colts. Saylors repeatedly made decisive cuts, knifing through the Colts’ defense and advancing to the second level. He ripped off three runs of 16 or more yards.
“He’s got some juice,” Campbell said afterward.
That has been evident in each of the team’s three exhibition games. So has the production. Saylors’ average of 62.3 rushing yards per game ranked first in the NFL this preseason.
“He got more opportunities to actually tote the rock than maybe he did last year,” Campbell said. “He took advantage of that.”
Did he ever.
DT Skyler Gill-Howard
The rookie defensive tackle has emerged as perhaps the most intriguing newcomer on the Lions. He just keeps causing havoc, after all. On Saturday, he again was a disruptive force, making his presence felt throughout his 12-snap cameo. On a third-down play near the end of the first quarter, Gill-Howard bulled his way past left guard Geno VanDeMark and center Dalton Tucker to sack Anthony Richardson, killing off a drive in the process. Later, he breached the Colts’ offensive line again and hit quarterback Riley Leonard. In his brief appearance, the 2026 sixth-round draft pick confirmed he deserves to be on the field when the real games begin next month.
Losers
QB Luke Altmyer
Altmyer’s margin for error was thin heading into the final preseason game. To win the backup job, he’d have to play near flawlessly. He’d also have to demonstrate he could consistently move the offense. But Altmyer failed to achieve both of those objectives Saturday. He threw an interception and lost a fumble. He also led just one of the Lions’ four scoring drives. Altmyer’s outing wasn’t necessarily bad. To wit, the undrafted rookie out of Illinois completed seven of 11 attempts for 55 yards. But it wasn’t great either. After all, none of his successful passes traveled more than 10 yards in the air. He also was indecisive at times. The fumble he lost during a sack in the third quarter wasn’t so much a result of a pass-protection breakdown as it was a consequence of Altmyer dawdling in the pocket as he went through his progressions. He needed to get the ball out quicker. He didn’t, though, and the play unraveled – just like Altmyer’s third audition.
RB Trayveon Williams
It’s unclear whether Williams had a real shot to make the roster. He joined the team earlier this month as the cast of reserve running backs thinned. But if Williams was in contention for a spot, he may have squandered the opportunity by committing multiple mistakes. The most egregious was a lost fumble on a kickoff in the second quarter, when Williams appeared to lose control of the ball as he ran into the back of Lions linebacker Joe Bachie. Williams then appeared to make another blunder, when he failed to notice Carter coming off the edge on a cornerback blitz. Williams wasn’t in position to block him and Carter raced in to sack Altmyer for an 8-yard loss. Those errors were hard to ignore during an afternoon when Williams fared well as a runner while scoring two touchdowns and gaining 57 yards on nine carries. In fact, they may have greased the skids for his exit.
K Jake Bates
Bates burst on the scene in 2024, flashing a powerful leg that delivered a series of clutch kicks. But last year, his accuracy declined and he finished 28th in the NFL in field-goal percentage. Still, Bates didn't invite much reason to worry. On balance, he remained pretty reliable. Then, on Saturday, he flubbed two of his three point-after attempts, pushing both wide right. The misses came one week after he failed to convert a 55-yard field goal in a victory over Washington.
Is there now reason to be concerned? Maybe. During the past month, Bates has looked shaky in practice as he has adjusted his setup position. But after watching Bates struggle Saturday, Campbell insists he's not fretting.
"I'm not worried about Bates," Campbell said in one breath.
"He'll be fine," he added in another.
The Lions certainly hope so.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin on X.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions winners, losers as Josh Dobbs, Jacob Saylors boost backup odds
