INDIANAPOLIS – The Detroit Lions’ backup quarterback situation might not be as dire as it appeared.
Josh Dobbs had a strong showing in the Lions’ preseason finale Saturday, Aug. 29, completing 15 of 19 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns in a 25-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts to stake claim to the backup job behind Jared Goff.
Dobbs signed with the Lions in early August and worked mostly as the third quarterback behind Goff and undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer this summer. He lost a fumble and threw an interception on back-to-back possessions to start last week’s win over the Washington Commanders, but was sharp and in command of the offense Saturday.
Altmyer started and threw an interception on his
third pass attempt while playing against the Colts’ first-team defense, while Dobbs led two touchdown drives – he converted three third downs and a fourth down on the first and ran a flawless two-minute drive on the second – in the second quarter against Indianapolis’ backups.
A veteran in his 10th NFL season and playing for his ninth team, Dobbs has previous experience with the Lions (2-1) – he was on the practice squad briefly in 2022 – and with Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing (who he played for in stops with the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals).
The Lions have long employed veteran backups behind Goff, and Lions coach Dan Campbell admitted this week that was still his preference.
Altmyer, though, played well enough in moments this summer that he still was in the mix for a roster spot, and there was some thought the Lions could look outside the organization for a backup.
Altmyer played the first and most of the third quarters and finished 7 of 11 passing for 55 yards with two turnovers against the Colts (0-2-1). Along with his first-quarter interception, he lost a fumble on a sack on the opening drive of the third quarter. He led one touchdown drive on his second possession, when running back Trayveon Williams scored on a 1-yard run.
Dobbs also led a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game: RB Jacob Saylors
Dobbs could easily be the player of the game, but I’m going with Saylors, who accomplished the rare feat of rushing for 100 yards in a preseason game.
Like Dobbs, Saylors seemed pretty secure in his roster spot entering Saturday and likely cemented his role with his play. He had three runs of 16-plus yards, was solid in pass protection and averaged 5.9 yards on his 17 carries.
If Isiah Pacheco misses time with his back injury to star the season, Saylors should be Jahmyr Gibbs’ top backup.
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DT Skyler Gill-Howard
Gill-Howard put a cherry atop his nice summer as a sixth-round pick with a sack, two quarterback hits and a couple hustle plays Saturday. He split two blockers for his sack on a third-and-5 play in the first quarter and made one tackle when he got cut block on a screen pass popped to his feet and chased the receiver down from behind. He should be a roster lock.
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K Jake Bates
Bates has had an odd summer, meanwhile. He changed how he sets up for field goals this offseason and had some stretches where he missed several makeable kicks in camp. On Saturday, he missed two extra points wide right and also left a kickoff short of the landing zone. He’ll be the Lions’ kicker this fall, but I wouldn’t feel too comfortable sending him out there for a game-winner right now.
Jackson Meeks
A wide reciever-turned-tight end, Meeks wasn’t bad Saturday. He caught two passes, including a touchdown with a linebacker bearing down on him on the goal line. But his limitations as a blocker were apparent as he missed a block on run plays by Saylors and Williams and appeared to miss a blitz pickup on a screen. Meeks has had a nice camp overall. He forced a fumble last week and had a team-high five catches entering the game. But as the clear No. 4 tight end, there might not be room for him on the 53.
Roster report
I’ll wait for some clarification from Campbell on why he divvied up the snaps the way he did, but I found it interesting that I did not see backup center Seth McLaughlin or Tom Kennedy, who’s fighting for the No. 5 receiver job, play Saturday, while presumed starting defensive end Tyler Lacy played into the fourth quarter. Lacy is more of a situational big end than your typical every-down starter, but on a day when every other projected starter and several top backups did not play, it was odd to see him on the field. Levi Onwuzurike, who also is in the mix for a backup job on the defensive line, also played into the second half.
Next up: Lions vs. New Orleans Saints
The next time you see the Lions on the field it will be for the regular-season opener against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 13 (1 p.m., Fox). There's work to do before then, though, as the Lions have to cut their roster to the 53-man limit by 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes has traditionally cut to fewer than 53 players with plans on filling the open spot(s) on the waiver wire. The Lions have enough good roster candidates they might not want to do that this year, but they also could be looking outside the organization for backups at running back, on the interior offensive line and in the defensive secondary.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Josh Dobbs rolls as Lions backup QB in preseason win over Colts
