It’s that time of year again; football is back in action! While it’s just a preseason game, this is still the first full game the Detroit Lions have had since January, a long seven months ago.
In the preseason opener, the Lions traveled to Cincinnati to take on the Cincinnati Bengals. While the Lions played a few starters, the Bengals trouted out the majority, if not all, of theirs. The Detroit offensive starters who played were right tackle Blake Miller, left guard Christian Mahogany, and wide receiver
Isaac TeSlaa. On the defensive side, safety Chuck Clark (projected to start with Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch on PUP) was out there along with Tyler Lacy.
These preseason games are less about winning and losing and more about how players competing for a starting job or a roster spot perform. These are games where someone can make the roster, and someone else could be sent home. It’s only the first of three games, so while this game is important, it’s not the end-all, be-all.
Here are my six takeaways from the Lions’ Preseason Week 1 16-14 loss.
Jacob Saylors could be a threat for RB3
The running back position might have an unexpected battle at the RB3 spot. Jahmyr Gibbs is clearly the starting running back after signing a new contract extension earlier in August, making him the highest-paid running back in the NFL. Behind him is no longer David Montgomery, but Isiah Pacheco. At third string, it’s presumed that Sione Vaki will lock that job up.
Unfortunately, the injury bug has continued to strike Vaki, this time resulting in a broken nose and an eye injury. That has led to fourth-string running back Jacob Saylors getting a lot of playing time in training camp, with Gibbs holding in before his extension was signed, and Pacheco and Vaki battling injuries. In the game Thursday night, Saylors had a strong showing, getting eight carries for 55 yards and three catches for 28 yards.
Saylors was RB4 last year, primarily on kick return for special teams, but if he can continue to have good days like Thursday, he might upend Vaki for the third-string spot. With the rest of August to prove himself, this is a good start for Saylors to have a bigger role in the Lions offense.
Ahmed Hassanein continues to impress
Last year, the former sixth-round pick, EDGE Ahmed Hassanein, was doing well in the preseason and showed promise for a bright future. Unfortunately, he suffered a pec injury, which led the Lions to release him while he rehabbed. He was brought back in November 2025 and remained on the practice squad for the entire 2025 season. This year, Hassanein is healthy and has been impressing in training camp so far. On the Lions’ first defensive drive, he sacked Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Hassanein finished the game with four tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. Hassanein is a great story and a pass rusher that the team has been needing on its roster. With him back healthy, he will bring a great fire to the defensive line this season if he can keep this up.
Offensive line with a rough performance
With only two starting offensive linemen playing, it was a lot of players mixing and moving around with different teammates next to them. Rookie right tackle Blake Miller looked well, not allowing a sack and keeping both quarterbacks upright. Offensive lineman Myle Frazier, who has played everywhere but center so far this preseason, had a rough game. Third-string center Seth McLaughlin got the start with injuries to starting center Cade Mays and backup Juice Scruggs, showed why he’s a third-stringer.
The biggest story of the offensive line was Mahogany struggling, getting called for two penalties. Mahogany had a rough season last year, and with his job not yet secure, the type of game he had wasn’t what you wanted to see. He’s had limited competition behind him, as backup guard Ben Bartch has been dealing with an injury, with Frazier and Scruggs bouncing around the offensive line.
The good news is that Frazier and McLaughlin aren’t projected to start, but these players and others were playing alongside people they haven’t had much time to gel with. It’s tough to showcase what you can do when you don’t have the experience with the guy next to you. The chemistry you can build with the rest of your offensive line is important, and it showed Thursday night.
Isaac TeSlaa’s rough preseason continues
With the Lions moving on from wide receiver Kalif Raymond, that means TeSlaa moves up to the WR3 spot. After impressing with multiple one-handed catches in his rookie season last year, expectations are a bit higher for TeSlaa in 2026. With TeSlaa having higher expectations, the pressure might be getting to him.
He’s been having a tough camp so far, getting challenged early and often. Against the Bengals, he had a chance to rebound. Instead of bouncing back, his struggles continued. In the first quarter, Lions quarterback Luke Altmyer threw a pass to TeSlaa, and it bounced off TeSlaa’s helmet up high and was picked off by the Bengals. After punting on their next offensive series, the Lions came out afterward, drove down the field, and went for it on fourth down. Altmyer threw a pass right into TeSlaa’s hands, and he dropped it, causing a turnover on downs.
With three targets, TeSlaa came up empty-handed Thursday night. I don’t think his job is in jeopardy, but he could still fall down the depth chart back to WR4 if things don’t improve soon.
Injury scares arise on the defense
So far in the preseason, the injuries have begun to strike the roster. On Thursday night, the Lions saw two defensive players leave with injuries. The first was cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr., who left the game in the second quarter and didn’t return. Rakestraw is currently battling for the CB2 job with veteran Rock Ya-Sin and has Nick Whiteside right behind him. Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after the game that they don’t believe Rakestraw’s injury is serious and could just be a contusion.
The other was defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo, who also left in the second quarter and didn’t return. Wingo is battling for a roster spot on the defensive line, where competition is fierce, as his job is more in jeopardy than Rakestraw’s. Campbell said after the game that Wingo “got his bell rung” and could be in concussion protocol. If both injuries don’t keep either player out for long, they should hopefully return for next week’s game.
Defense outperformed the offense
Sure, a majority of the starters overall didn’t play, but it’s presumed that the offense is the better side of the football over the defense. Against the Bengals, the defense stood out, giving the Lions a chance to win. The defense forced four fumbles, recovering one, and sacked the quarterback twice.
The offense saw some ups and downs, with the quarterback battle between Altmyer and Joshua Dobbs not showing much separation, as both showed positives and negatives. The running game provided the spark, and no receivers made multiple big plays. With the offensive line inconsistent and drawing five of the team’s nine penalties, it made it more difficult for the others to have success.
If the defense can play this well in the regular season, the team could have a truly balanced approach. With a good defense to complement their high-powered offense, the Lions could have a legit chance not just to win the NFC North, but to be a threat in the NFC and appear in the Super Bowl.
