We’ve officially hit the hump in the 2026 preseason. The Detroit Lions had their only home preseason game of the season, taking on the Washington Commanders. This time around, when these two teams played at Ford Field, the stakes weren’t as high.
The Lions planned on playing some starters this week, but not as many as the big names you see people supporting on your average Sunday. Quarterback Josh Dobbs got the start, so no Jared Goff this week. Other offensive weapons like running back Jahmyr Gibbs,
wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, along with tight end Sam LaPorta, got some rest. The offensive line was without Penei Sewell, but the rest of the presumed starting offensive line got on the field to build more chemistry together. The defense saw players like Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, and Jack Campbell comfortable in street clothes on the sidelines.
It was still a good game for some of the starters to get some live bullets thrown their way before the regular season starts. It’s also another opportunity for players fighting for roster spots to keep stacking good days or have a breakout performance that gets coaches thinking differently. Despite the rough start, the Lions rebounded and came away with the victory.
Here are my five takeaways from the Lions’ 17-13 win against the Commanders on Saturday afternoon.
Lions finally have valuable depth at EDGE
For years, Lions fans have pleaded with the Lions front office to get another playmaker opposite Hutchinson on the defensive line. The Lions finally made some moves in the offseason, signing EDGE DJ Wonnum to a one-year deal, and drafting EDGE Derrick Moore in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Wonnum has been the starter so far in training camp, and with his first preseason appearance, he showed why he’s the starter on the second snap for the Lions’ defense.
Wonnum finished the game with two tackles and a sack, playing only in the first half. Wonnum has done well in training camp, but the rookie Moore made quite the impact in his debut. Moore missed some time due to a groin injury, including being absent for the Lions first preseason game agains the Cincinnati Bengals, but since his return to practice, he’s been earning a lot of press. Moore had an impact, even if he wasn’t hitting the quarterback, and when he did, he made the most of it.
Moore finished the game with two tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble—along with a sack that was wiped away by a penalty. EDGE Eric O’Neill had himself a strong showing as well, getting two tackles and generating pressure. He had a good week in practice and followed it up with the performance on Saturday; he could make it a tough decision for the team to move on if he continues this upward trend.
Sione Vaki’s absence continues to give others chances
Running back Sione Vaki returned to practice last Saturday after missing time due to an eye and nose injury. With him back on the field, odds looked like he would play against the Commanders, but he would miss his second preseason game. According to Lions head coach Dan Campbell, Vaki woke up with a knot in his back yesterday, and while it’s not deemed serious, the team thought it was enough to hold him out against Washington.
Jacob Saylors was the stud on the ground last week, and this week he continued his strong start, rushing for 32 yards on six carries, making some good cuts. He got some competition this week, unlike last week, as newly signed Trayveon Williams had 10 carries for 36 yards and a touchdown, and Raheem Blackshear had 11 carries for 29 yards of his own.
I think Saylors is the biggest threat to Vaki, as he continues to have strong showings. If he continues, the coaches could see if he can take over the RB3 role, leaving Vaki strictly on special teams. Vaki’s special teams talents are why I don’t think he will be cut, but if he doesn’t play next week, his third-string running back job could be up for grabs. If Vaki can overcome these injuries and stay healthy, then that RB3 job is his to lose.
WR5 and 6 have some competition now
The wide receiver depth in Detroit is getting tested a bit this preseason. We have seen Cedrick Wilson Jr. have a mostly good training camp, but he left the game early with a knee injury after recording two catches for 21 yards. Campbell said he’s “worried” about Wilson’s injury, but he doesn’t know the full scope of everything yet.
Unlike others on the Pride of Detroit staff, I haven’t been high on wide receiver Tay Martin in the preseason. I’ve believed in wide receiver Dominic Lovett since Detroit drafted him in the 2025 NFL Draft. I thought he would have a bigger role this year, arguably as high as WR5, but I’m unsure if he can win the WR6 job now.
The first player to sub in for the starters was Martin, not Lovett. Lovett didn’t get any playing time until the second half, while Martin got reps the entire game. Martin didn’t capitalize that much with the extra playing time, getting one catch for 11 yards. Lucky Jackson saw more playing time and got two catches for 15 yards, and Tom Kennedy had a catch for 10 yards.
Lovett only recorded a single catch for six yards, and with Wilson potentially missing time, I believe those four are in the mix for the WR5 and 6 spot if Wilson can’t go. If Detroit isn’t impressed with any of them, don’t be surprised if they go external in that spot.
Defense continues to have strong outings
The defense once again had the biggest impact on the game for the Lions. While I’ve discussed the EDGE players earlier, you can’t ignore the interior defensive line either. Rookie defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard got only one tackle, which was for a loss, recorded pressure, and fought to recover the fumble made by Moore. Fellow defensive tackle Ben Stille had a tackle, and I thought he got some good pressure on the interior as well.
The linebackers saw Devin White generate pressure, finishing the game with three tackles, as well as Trevor Nowaske. In the secondary, it was a little more up and down, with starting cornerback D.J. Reed finishing with four tackles, two tackles for loss, and a backflip (scaring everyone at home).
Rookie cornerback Keith Abney II had a rough game. While finishing with three tackles, he picked up multiple penalties and allowed catches often, and the Commanders’ offense targeted him at times. Safety Avonte Maddox had two tackles—one was for a loss. It was also good to see cornerback Ennis Rakestraw play on Saturday after he left practice early on Thursday; he finished with three tackles on the day.
Offensive line has some work to do
The starting offensive line was without Sewell, and his replacement, Larry Borom, had about as rough as a start as you could imagine at left tackle. The strip sack turned into a pick-up six by Commanders linebacker Joshua Josephs, but it wasn’t all Borom’s fault, as rookie right tackle Blake Miller was late on his pickup, and tight end Brock Wright didn’t hold his block long enough. All of that turned into a disastrous start for the Lions, who quickly fell behind 7-0.
The offensive line settled in after that play, but it wasn’t picture perfect. For the starters, right guard Tate Ratledge was the best of the bunch; meanwhile, center Juice Scruggs and left guard Christian Mahogany showed some good and some bad.
When the backups came in, things took a step back as right tackle Colby Sorsdal had a rough game, but center Seth McLaughlin seemed to improve from the week before. We saw Miles Frazier play at right guard and left tackle, showing off his versatility on the line. Detroit allowed five sacks in total; the starters allowed only the first one, so there is a clear difference between the starters and backups. It wasn’t a consistent performance from the bunch, but as the starters get figured out, hopefully the backups can find their place and finish strong next week.
