The Detroit Lions completed their third preseason contest Saturday falling to Miami, 24-17, at Ford Field. There were a number of good performances put in by Lions players, and that’s important with just a week left of training camp and one more preseason game left for players on the roster bubble or battling for playing roles to make a good impression.
Here are five players who stood out on Saturday:
1. QB Kyle Allen
It’s a second straight terrific performance for Allen, who looks to have taken a step forward in the competition with Hendon Hooker to be the backup quarterback.
“I mean, he’s playing better,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of the competition after Saturday’s contest. “So I would say that right now, if you’re saying – if you had to go in with the (No. 2 quarterback) right now, ‘Who would you trust more?’ Yeah, I would trust Kyle more because he’s proven more after these two games.”
Allen finished 14-of-17 passing for 124 yards with touchdown passes to Jackson Meeks and Isaac TeSlaa with no turnovers and a 136.3 passer rating. It seems like his job to lose moving forward.
2. WR Jackson Meeks
Make it two really nice performances in a row for the undrafted rookie wide receiver. Meeks notched his second straight contest with a touchdown and when it was all said and done Saturday afternoon, he had seven catches on eight targets for 93 yards (13.3 average) and a touchdown.
He’s had a nice camp and Campbell admitted after the game that Meeks was going to be the topic of a long conversation on Sunday as we inch closer to roster cut-down day.
3. WR Isaac TeSlaa
Like Meeks, TeSlaa caught a touchdown for a second straight week and continues to build on a strong camp. Lions general manager Brad Holmes said TeSlaa was his favorite receiver in this year’s NFL Draft. Now we’re seeing why.
“He said I wasn’t the most talented receiver, he said I was his favorite, so. I mean that’s fair,” TeSlaa joked after the game.
It’s easy to see what Holmes liked and why he viewed TeSlaa as a fit in Detroit. He’s got a big frame (6-foot-4), good speed (4.4 in 40-yard dash) and really good hands. He’s settling into an outside receiver role after playing mostly inside at Arkansas. He’s got two touchdowns in the preseason where he’s high-pointed the football and used his body to shield away defenders. He’s come in more advanced than most rookie receivers and has a chance to make an early impact in Detroit.
4. S Erick Hallett II
Detroit’s secondary was really active in the game Saturday defending 10 passes total. Hallet led the team with three PBUs and quietly has had a nice training camp. He also added three tackles.
What really stood out Saturday was Hallett’s versatility as he played safety, outside cornerback, and nickel cornerback. A player can certainly endear himself to a coaching staff by adding some playmaking ability from multiple spots like Hallett did vs. Miami.
5. RB Sione Vaki
Vaki missed some time in camp due to injury but has been back for about a week and is making his presence felt. The second-year running back looks a lot more comfortable in the backfield in Year 2 after making the permanent switch from safety when the Lions drafted him last year.
Vaki carried the ball five times for 30 yards with a 6.0-yard average per carry vs. the Dolphins. He also caught two passes. He was a core special teamer for the Lions as a rookie and that will be a big part of his game in 2025. He was lined up with Grant Stuard as the first pair returning kickoffs Saturday and he later forced a fumble on a punt coverage tackle that he nearly recovered.
“It was just good to get him out there. I mean, that’s where I would start. He’s missed most of camp, so to be able to get him out, get him some significant reps on special teams, on the offense,” Campbell said.
“I thought he did a few things. But so, that’s where I’m happy. I don’t – I’ll know more about exactly what it looked like, but it’s just good to get him out there on the turf moving the football again.”
