As always in the preseason, there were plenty of ups and downs during the Detroit Lions’ 16-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in what was the first ot three scheduled exhibition games.
On the offensive side of the ball, rookie quarterback Luke Altmyer looked calm and cool operating the Lions’ offense, while it was a night to forget for second-year wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa. On one occasion, an Altmyer pass bounced off TeSlaa’s facemask, sending the ball straight into the air and eventually, directly into the hands of the defense. In general, it’s been a tough training camp for the Hudsonville native, and I would expect the coaching staff to continue to load him up with reps as the preseason marches on.
On the other side of the ball, defensive end Ahmed Hassanein’s stock continues to rise after he made a handful of splash plays, including a first-series sack on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and a sack-fumble later in the game.
There were plenty of other takeaways from the game, leading us to today’s question of the day:
What was your biggest takeaway from the Lions’ first preseason game?
My answer: I am going with Hassanein looking like a bona fide NFL player. More than that, if he is able to stack great days like the one he had against the Bengals, he is going to firmly be part of the rotation along the defensive line. Coming out of Boise State, nobody questioned Hassanein’s potential if he landed in the right situation, and now we are beginning to understand why.
Simply put, the young man plays like his hair is on fire. And while that sometimes needs to be reined in, as Lions coach Dan Campbell said, it’s better to have that problem than the other way around. I still need to watch the tape from the first game, but I really liked what I saw from the broadcast angle, and I am certain Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard did, too.
What about you? What was your biggest takeaway from the Lions’ first preseason game against the Bengals? Let us know in the comments below.