Isaac TeSlaa endured the kind of night every wide receiver wants to erase quickly.
Three targets. No catches. Two passes off his hands, including one that became an interception. The Detroit Lions still came within two points of completing a late comeback, but TeSlaa left Cincinnati knowing he had missed opportunities in a 16-14 preseason loss to the Bengals.
Dan Campbell is not panicking. He is not questioning TeSlaa’s place in Detroit’s offense, either.
The Lions coach sees a talented second-year receiver pressing to make everything happen at once. His message afterward was simple: Breathe, keep working and trust the process.
Two Missed Opportunities Hurt Detroit
TeSlaa played 17 offensive snaps and received three targets against Cincinnati. His first chance came during Detroit’s opening possession, when Luke Altmyer put the football on him inside Bengals territory.
The pass bounced off TeSlaa’s hands and into the air, allowing safety Jordan Battle to intercept it at Cincinnati’s 26-yard line. The Lions’ official game recap identified the play as an accurate throw that became a turnover after the deflection.
Later, TeSlaa had another pass hit his hands on fourth down. A catch would have extended the drive. The drop instead returned possession to Cincinnati.
Detroit’s official postgame observations listed TeSlaa among the players who need to respond in the Lions’ second preseason game.
It was not the night TeSlaa wanted. It also was not a referendum on his role.
Campbell Understands What TeSlaa Is Experiencing
Campbell has watched young players press before. He has also lived through stretches when progress did not arrive as quickly as expected.
“I remember what those days are like.
“You want everything to happen in a hurry,” Campbell said after the game.
That impatience can become a problem for a developing receiver. One missed opportunity creates urgency. Urgency becomes tension. Suddenly, the player is thinking about securing the football instead of allowing years of training to take over.
TeSlaa is not struggling because he does not care. Campbell believes the opposite is true.
“You’re going into your second year, and you can put a lot of pressure on yourself.
“Especially when you want to be great.
“He wants to be great,” Campbell said.
That distinction matters. Detroit is dealing with a young player trying to accelerate his development, not someone satisfied with last season’s production.
Detroit Is Not Reconsidering TeSlaa’s Role
Let’s not turn one preseason performance into a manufactured competition.
TeSlaa is Detroit’s third receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams unless something dramatic changes. Greg Dortch has a role, especially on special teams, but he is not suddenly replacing TeSlaa because of two drops in August.
The Lions traded up to select TeSlaa in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft because they believed his size, athleticism and ball skills could add something different to their offense. He rewarded that belief by catching six touchdowns on only 16 receptions as a rookie.
Detroit now wants him to become a more complete receiver. Campbell challenged TeSlaa earlier in camp to sharpen his releases, expand his route tree and become more dependable on routine plays. That development was explored in Detroit Sports Nation’s previous look at Campbell’s Year 2 challenge for TeSlaa.
Thursday’s performance showed why that growth does not happen in a straight line.
Campbell Wants TeSlaa to Stay the Course
Campbell’s central message did not involve changing TeSlaa’s technique, reducing his role or delivering a public warning.
“More than anything, just stay the course,” Campbell said.
That is easier said than done after a turnover and a fourth-down drop. TeSlaa will see both mistakes repeatedly during film review. His job is to learn from them without carrying them into the next practice.
Campbell does not believe TeSlaa needs a long speech to understand that.
“I don’t feel like I need to say too much to him.
“That doesn’t mean I won’t say something.
“He’s a pretty heady guy.
“He’s a confident guy,” Campbell said.
Detroit’s confidence comes from knowing how TeSlaa works when something goes wrong. He does not hide from corrections. He returns to the field and attacks the problem.
“He’s pretty good about saying, ‘I just have to go back to work.’
“That has always served him well,” Campbell said.
Scottie Montgomery Has an Important Role
TeSlaa is not working through this alone.
Detroit moved Scottie Montgomery into the wide receivers room, giving TeSlaa an experienced coach who understands the technical and emotional sides of developing NFL players.
“He has a damn good coach in that room in Scotty,” Campbell said.
Montgomery’s job is not to rebuild TeSlaa after one rough game. It is to help him identify why the mistakes occurred, clean up any technical issues and restore the natural confidence that made TeSlaa such an efficient scoring threat as a rookie.
The physical tools remain. The work ethic remains. Detroit’s belief in him remains.
A Few Successful Plays Can Change Everything
Confidence can disappear quickly for a young receiver. It can return just as fast.
“All it takes is a couple of wins.
“A couple of wins at critical times against some guys in practice or in a game, and all of a sudden it skyrockets,” Campbell said.
One contested catch against a starting cornerback could do it. One clean conversion on third down could settle him. A touchdown against Washington might make the Cincinnati game feel a month old.
TeSlaa has already shown that difficult catches do not scare him. His next step is making the routine plays automatic.
Detroit Sports Nation previously examined TeSlaa’s plan for a larger second season. Playing faster and thinking less were central themes. That approach becomes even more important after a difficult night.
Bottom Line
Isaac TeSlaa played poorly against Cincinnati. There is no reason to sugarcoat two drops that helped end promising Detroit possessions.
There is also no reason to pretend his place in the offense is suddenly in danger.
“Sometimes with a young player, you get a little bit of that pendulum swing.
“He’ll be fine.
“He’s going to be just fine,” Campbell said.
That is the real story.
Campbell knows TeSlaa is pressing because he wants to become great. The Lions believe his intelligence, confidence and work habits will pull him through this stretch.
Now TeSlaa has to do what Campbell expects.
Go back to work.