Detroit Lions

Tim Twentyman takes a look at five things to watch in Friday's Lions-Falcons preseason matchup.

It's very much an open competition between those two at this point, according to Campbell, and the preseason will go a long way in determining who ultimately wins the job. With Campbell and Johnson at the helm of the offense the second half of last year, Goff was 3-2-1 in his final six starts with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions and a passer rating of 101.8. The passer rating was the sixth best among all NFL quarterbacks the second half of the season. Rookie linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez has had a terrific start to camp and has worked his way up to getting some run with the first-team defense this past week. Third-year cornerback Jeff Okudah is excited to get back on the field and into game action roughly 11 months after tearing his Achilles at Ford Field Week 1 last year vs. "I feel like they're both better than they were in the spring," Campbell said. He's instinctive and violent, and has been a playmaker early on. But tonight is a chance for a number of rookies to get their first crack at an NFL game. It's no secret the Lions have to be better defensively if they are going to be a better football team in 2022. He looks poised, comfortable and in complete ownership of the offense. He's been disruptive the first two weeks of camp. Glenn thinks it fits his personnel better, and tonight we get our first looks at it against another opponent. There are starting positions, playing time and roster spots on the line.

This post will update with drive summaries, analysis, injury updates, photos and more throughout the Lions-Falcons preseason game.

Goff with the nice throw to drop it in over the heads of the defense on that one. But now it’s time to line up across from another team and get after it for four quarters with fans in the building. The quarterback fakes the hand on the next snap. Elliott in on another tackle from the back of the defense. Tackle for loss makes it third-and-5 -- Damien Williams runs for the first down. Third-and-7 -- Ridder overthrow on the play fake. DeShon Elliott and Aidan Hutchinson all over the quarterback keeper on the first play. It’s third-and-5 after some better showings on the ground for Detroit’s defense here. Fourth-and-inches -- Blough keeps it and slides for the first down. Third-and-8 -- Boyle is clean here, finding Trinity Benson for a first down on the 24-yard connection. The rookie went for 11 yards on that scramble. Blough to Kennedy at midfield, moves the chains, with the quarterback quick to the line to run another play.

It has arrived: The first preseason game of the 2022 season. (Well, for the Falcons and Lions at least). This time tomorrow I hope we know a bit more about ...

That's what I want to see from Graham, and I am kind of hoping we see a lot of that. What I am saying is that I want to see that potential. He doesn't have to do it, yet, but I want to see that he can when given the space to do so. This isn't new to him, but it is new for Falcons fans to see him in said starting role. Regardless, this will be the first time we see Ridder command an offense in real time, while going against a professional opponent. However, between playing quarterback and tight end, Smith said he would hedge your bets that it won't be 50/50 for Franks. The college quarterback turned pro tight end has only played a small minority of snaps at quarterback throughout the two weeks of training camp, with majority of that minority coming in the last week. Mayfield missed two days of practice before putting the pads back on come Monday. Smith said they would assess where Mayfield is come Thursday and Friday to make a decision as to whether or not they play him. I feel like he has to be. I'd argue Franks has had one of the best camps out of anyone on the current 90-man roster for the Falcons. He's flashed more and more as the weeks have gone on. This time tomorrow I hope we know a bit more about where the Falcons roster is at this point in the offseason. So, with this in mind, here are the five players I am most interested in seeing take the field on Friday, in no particular order. Yes, we'll see some starters, but we'll also see a lot of the players who are fighting for a roster spot.

Preseason opener: Detroit Lions (0-0) vs. Atlanta Falcons (0-0): 6 p.m.; Ford Field; Fox 2 (other state TV affiliates); NFL Network; WXYT-FM (97.1).

Expect to see the starters for about a quarter, but there will be plenty to keep an eye on, especially at linebacker, in the secondary and at running back. Atlanta Falcons (0-0) Preseason opener: Detroit Lions (0-0) vs.

We'll be providing live updates from Ford Field as the Detroit Lions face the Atlanta Falcons in the preseason opener.

But just as the Lions looked like they were going to be able to run out the clock, Blough fumbled a shotgun snap, giving the ball back to the Falcons on Detroit’s 33-yard line with exactly 2:00 remaining. Unfortunately, the Lions could only get to midfield, and Blough’s hail mary attempt failed, ending the game with a score of 27-23 Falcons. The Lions got into the red zone, but couldn’t convert on three downs inside the 5-yard line. Lions TV Network pic.twitter.com/CmTufuDI6m August 12, 2022 On the first play, Blough scrambled around the pocket and found a wide-open Tom Kennedy for 26 yards. David Blough and the Lions’ third-team offense took over on the next drive. Ridder opened the drive with a 20-yard scramble and ran for another 19 a few plays later. The Lions’ offense started to come back to life, with Boyle connecting with Garrett Griffin for 11 yards and Trinity Benson for another 24. Atlanta rushed for 61 yards on 10 carries (6.1 YPC) on the opening drive, which was capped by a Mariota 6-yard touchdown run. The drive got off to a good start when Jared Goff found Brock Wright—in for T.J. Hockenson—for an 18-yard gain on the second play of the game. First, he laid a hit on quarterback Marcus Mariota on the first defensive play. The Detroit Lions first-team offense has looked good for the first three weeks of training camp, but many began to wonder if that was more of an indictment of Detroit’s defense.

My first skit, we clowned on the coaches and they didn't like that very much. Oh man, it was bad," Walker told hosts Mike Stone and Jon Jansen. "We had to wake ...

I believe in everything that these guys stand for and what they're all about. I'm tired of losing in Detroit, and the coaches feel the same way. "My coaching staff, I believe in these guys," Walker said. “This was my best situation with everything that I was dealing with." So I had to do another skit.” “I had to do three skits.

Rookies Aidan Hutchinson and Malcolm Rodriguez made big tackles early in Friday's game vs. the Atlanta Falcons.

• And lastly, shout out to the Ford Field D.J. for playing Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” during a break in the action late in the second quarter. Seibert got first crack at the job Friday, made both his extra points in the first half and drilled a 46-yard field goal. Blough showed moxie, extending plays with his feet on several instances in the third quarter. Blough completed 15 of 22 passes for 108 yards while playing most of the second half. • Malcolm Rodriguez made a quick and favorable first impression, too, delivering a big tackle on the Lions’ first kickoff. Boyle, who has alternated second-team reps with David Blough all training camp, stayed on the field to start the third quarter. Will Harris started at cornerback over Jeff Okudah and left after one play with a right hand injury, but he returned for the next defensive series with tape on one of his fingers. Okudah, the star-crossed No. 3 pick of the 2019 draft, made a couple tackles in run support but still has some rust to shake off in pass coverage. The penalty was ticky-tack, but Davis made contact with Ridder after he threw the pass. After Sewell couldn’t quite get out to a second-level block on D’Andre Swift’s first carry of the game, the Lions had 31 yards rushing on their next five attempts. He dug the Lions out of a third-and-12 with a 45-yard bomb to Kalif Raymond down the sideline, but he also missed an open Trinity Benson on the first play of second series, airmailing the receiver off a run fake, and was late on another pass to Raymond over middle late in the first half when Raymond had a big cushion on his defender. The Falcons flummoxed the Lions’ first-team defense with a couple designed bootlegs.

The Falcons will see the debut of their free agent acquisition quarterback Marcus Mariota as well as third-round rookie Desmond Ridder. Both are expected to ...

THE FINAL WORD: "The mindset is that everybody’s got to get ready to play," coach Arthur Smith said. "How long will be determined by a couple of different factors, but we’ll keep that in-house. The Atlanta Falcons (0-0) take on the Detroit Lions (0-0) in the Motor City Friday evening at Ford Field for the 2022 NFL Preseason opener.

Score: Atlanta 27, Detroit 23. First-team highlights: The Detroit Lions won the coin toss and elected to take the football.

He looked to lose sight of a punt in the fourth quarter, however, letting it bounce and putting the Lions in a hole at their 10-yard line. Third-team highlights: David Blough took over at quarterback midway through the third quarter with a mix of second and third-team guys to begin his night. Atlanta rushed for 61 yards on the drive, with Mariota accounting for 23 of those, including a 6-yard touchdown to end the drive. The Lions' second-team defense forced a punt on their first drive. After a punt on Boyle's second possession, he led an impressive 11-play, 69-yard drive right before the end of the first half that ended with his 1-yard scoring strike to tight end Devin Funchess on the fade to the corner of the end zone. Swift rushed four times for 20 yards on the drive.

The Detroit Lions continued their momentum from training camp with an impressive opening offensive drive before resting their starters the rest of the way.

But just as the Lions looked like they were going to be able to run out the clock, Blough fumbled a shotgun snap, giving the ball back to the Falcons on Detroit’s 33-yard line with exactly 2:00 remaining. Unfortunately, the Lions could only get to midfield, and Blough’s hail mary attempt failed, ending the game with a score of 27-23 Falcons. The Lions got into the red zone, but couldn’t convert on three downs inside the 5-yard line. Lions TV Network pic.twitter.com/CmTufuDI6m August 12, 2022 On the first play, Blough scrambled around the pocket and found a wide-open Tom Kennedy for 26 yards. David Blough and the Lions’ third-team offense took over on the next drive. Ridder opened the drive with a 20-yard scramble and ran for another 19 a few plays later. The Lions’ offense started to come back to life, with Boyle connecting with Garrett Griffin for 11 yards and Trinity Benson for another 24. Atlanta rushed for 61 yards on 10 carries (6.1 YPC) on the opening drive, which was capped by a Mariota 6-yard touchdown run. The drive got off to a good start when Jared Goff found Brock Wright—in for T.J. Hockenson—for an 18-yard gain on the second play of the game. First, he laid a hit on quarterback Marcus Mariota on the first defensive play. The Detroit Lions first-team offense has looked good for the first three weeks of training camp, but many began to wonder if that was more of an indictment of Detroit’s defense.

Detroit Lions football is officially back. In their preseason opener the Lions lost a close game to the Falcons, so it is time for some Lions report cards.

While a loss is never great, it’s only the first game of the preseason. The Lions’ kickoff and punt coverage was good, as expected. The front line was aggressive, but the discipline, or lack thereof, left a lot to be desired. Boswell had a nice pass breakup earlier in the final quarter, but that won’t be what sticks in memory. It was the defense as a whole that needed to be better in some areas and situations. That’s exactly the type of flash play fans were hoping to see from Hutchinson in his preseason debut. Friday night, the chance to work on it came. No. 2 quarterback Tim Boyle had a few really nice passes, including a deep shot to Kalif Raymond and a fade to Devin Funchess in the end zone for a touchdown. Kennedy was particularly effective at getting open just north of the sticks to keep the chains moving. It’s just one of the reasons he’s consistently been a preseason darling. Swift scored the touchdown to cap the drive for the starters. On the broadcast, Kennedy was appropriately dubbed “Mr. Reliable” as he hauled in pass after pass.

What was impressive was the ease the offense was able to move with down the field. The coaching staff talked about wanting to rush the football more effectively ...

On the day, Boyle missed multiple open receivers and in the third-quarter made one of his poorest decisions. The rookie showed poise on fourth-and-9, while trailing, 23-20. Detroit's defense struggled with guarding against the bootleg. Funchess was on the receiving end of a touchdown throw from Boyle, and even hurdled a defender in his debut in front of Detroit fans. A player looking to make a name for himself after time away from the game came to play in the preseason opener. While he was drafted in the sixth round, Rodriguez does not shy away from contact, and the coaching staff clearly is ready to give him added responsibilities. Read more on the six things that the Detroit Lions need to show in their 2022 preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons. Observations from the first half of the Detroit Lions preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons. What was impressive was the ease the offense was able to move with down the field. One aspect of the Lions' performance that was reminiscent of last season was a penalty negating a potentially game-changing play. For most fans, the No. 2 overall pick was the main attraction to make the trek downtown for a game that does not count in the record books. The final score of a preseason game is not the primary takeaway from a team's performance.

The first Detroit Lions preseason game of 2022 did not end as planned. Instead of milking the clock and walking off the field with a victory, ...

"I think it was solid. But, as the game got closer and closer, those first game nerves had to come back in. So, it was definitely a dream come true to finally get out here with the best of the best and prove myself." I always feel like regardless of what everybody says, I always feel like me myself, I always feel like I can do better and be better and get myself to give more every day. "I think going in -- at first I didn't think, I thought that practice would be the same as the game. But, being in the game, playing the game for so long, you learn to control your emotions. You kind of get used to the atmosphere. But, I like to play on the edge when it comes to that. So, it's just like, I'm not about to get hit in the knees and. You sit on the sideline after you get done with your reps and you see these young guys develop into -- to make them be good and to be great. "I felt good. We went out there the other weekend for the scrimmage in the blue and white game and it felt good then.

Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions' offense didn't showcase their new aggressive offense, but were efficient in a preseason loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

We kind of mixed it in, and so we had a couple plays in there. Check-downs and draws are fine in the preseason, but the offense is going to require a different level of boldness and daring when the regular season arrives. “I think some of that is predicated on when the defense will allow you to do it,” he said. So I asked Campbell when we might see the Lions’ aggressive, downfield attack. Will we see it in the preseason or wait until the games count? And that brings us back to the vanilla Johnson served his QB. Teams hardly spend any time game-planning for preseason opponents. I don’t call the plays, but we’ll see.” In the preseason? The defense continues to be the major concern. Goff joked earlier this week about the Lions’ offense not having that downfield, aggressive component. And that was without Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson in the game. When the offensive line bought Goff so much time on one play that it could have been measured by sundial, every receiver was covered.

Mr. Preseason™ is back at it again. Tom Kennedy has been a training camp favorite for many offseasons now, and what was easily his best preseason debut yet has ...

It’s a productive start for a guy who has a lot of outstanding concerns, the biggest of which being his durability. Swift looked smooth, sturdy, and powerful on Friday night; dare I say he looked like an RB1. There’s a lot of hype around Rodriguez coming from training camp, evidently not just for his dancing skills. Any time a rookie is drafted high, expectations are equally high, whether it’s warranted or not. Funchess is making his case nonetheless, if not for the Lions, then for every other team. Speaking of receivers who are fighting from the outside looking in, Devin Funchess also arrived to Ford Field on a mission Friday night.

Tim Twentyman & Mike O'Hara share their observations from the Detroit Lions' preseason Week 1 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

– Tim Twentyman Hutchinson had a tackle and a tackle for loss in one series of work. That's how he is – dependable. He did allow a first down on a third-down play in the first quarter, but overall, it was a good game back for Okudah. – Tim Twentyman The Lions rushed for 32 yards on their opening series and a couple of those were off terrific blocks from Ragnow. – Tim Twentyman The starters allowed a touchdown drive to the Falcons in their one series of the game Friday. Atlanta rushed for 61 yards on the drive.

The Atlanta Falcons won their preseason-opening matchup against the Detroit Lions by a final score of 27-23. As far as exhibition games go, it was about as ...

The Detroit Lions lost their preseason opener, but three players looking for an opportunity got one and made the most of it.

But all three took advantage of the chance they got in the Lions’ first preseason game. On the defensive side, rookie safety Kerby Joseph proved why he was worthy of a third-round selection by the Lions in April’s draft. The Detroit Lions lost their preseason opener to the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night, 27-23.

General manager Brad Holmes and the coaching staff have made a concerted effort to field a young roster and infuse them with grit and a mindset that will pay ...

"I was nervous at first. Just to trust my instincts a little better.” I’m glad the plays came my way. I’m glad I got the opportunity. “I’m a lateral linebacker, so I’m able to move side to side and I do my job at the end of the day so I was able to put it on display today, and I was happy about that and coach Sheppard, he made that note and he said to just keep doing my thing and just keep doing my job.” It was a nice start for the Lions' sixth-round pick, as he recorded a special teams hit and a tackle immediately.

Both David Blough and Tim Boyle committed costly turnovers, but Blough was better at moving the Detroit Lions offense in Friday's preseason game.

Campbell said he was not displeased with the play of either of his backup quarterbacks, and Boyle did some good things in his quarter-plus of work. But he also gave up the game-winning touchdown on a scramble play, when he got boxed out for position by converted quarterback/lacrosse player Jared Bernhardt. For a young player fighting for a roster spot, that play will gnaw at him for a long time. Blough made a crucial mistake late in the game when he fumbled a snap with a chance to run out the clock on a Lions win. He extended plays with his feet and infused the third-string offense with energy in his quarter and a half of work. Funchess has largely blended into the crowd in training camp practices and seemed to be a forgotten man in the battle for playing time at tight end, but he made a few noteworthy plays Friday. The ex- Michigan football star caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tim Boyle late in the first half and had two catches for first downs in the fourth quarter. He broke a tackle on the first of those grabs and hurdled a defender on the second.