Detroit Lions vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Friday August 28th, 8 P.M. ET
EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Notable inactives:
DET: Calvin Johnson, Joique Bell, Caraun Reid, Larry Warford, Jason Jones, LaAdrian Waddle, Kyle Van Noy, Haloti Ngata,
JAX: Toby Gerhart, Marqise Lee, Greg Jenkins, Peyton Thompson, Demetrius McCray, Johnathan Cyprien, Rashaad Reynolds, Dante Fowler, Josh Wells, Julius Thomas, Neal Sterling, and Sen'Derrick Marks.
The Detroit Lions are coming off of a 21-17 loss to the Washington Redskins. The Jacksonville Jaguars are also coming off of a loss to the New York Giants 22-12.
The Lions escaped their first preseason game against the New York Jets relatively healthy. Their second game, against the Washington Redskins saw a plethora of injuries. The first team defense absolutely crushed Washington QB Robert Griffin III, giving him a shoulder stinger and concussion. However, guard Larry Warford and defensive tackle Caraun Reid both suffered high-ankle sprains.
Here are five storylines to follow:
1. T.J. Yeldon - Rookie Running Back T.J. Yeldon is expected to make his debut against the Lions on Friday. The second-round pick from Alabama is expected to make his preseason debut after missing the first two games because of a sprained finger on his left hand. Yeldon should see plenty of action as Toby Gerhart is out with a strained abdominal muscle. When he was drafted, Yeldon was expected to compete with Gerhart and Denard Robinson for the starting running back spot. Bernard Pierce, Storm Johnson, and Corey Grant will also be battling hard to fill the final running back spot on the Jags' depth chart.
2. Team Tackling - Lions Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin was not happy with the tackling ability, or inability at times. against the Redskins. Austin's disappointment comes mostly with the second and third team defensive units, but addressed the problem overall. Look for the Lions to be much better at tackling as a whole against the Jags.
3. Jacksonville Hit Squad- After last week's game against the New York Giants, the Giants expressed concern that the Jacksonville defensive backs were taking cheap-shots, in particular toward Giants star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz. “I was a little unhappy last week,” Cruz told New York reporters. “I felt like some of those defensive backs were kind of gunning for him (Beckham) and it was sad to see that go down because I couldn’t help him.”Cruz went on to say “Certain stuff I was seeing on the field. Just when guys have the opportunity to get an interception and they don’t even go for the ball. I get it, it’s [the] preseason and you’re trying to get a job. But let’s just keep it within the game a little bit.”
4. "Doc" Zenner - Throughout the preseason Lions rookie UDFA running back Zach Zenner has lead the team in rushing yards, The South Dakota State product is also second on the team in receiving for the preseason. Zenner has been one of the bigger stories throughout camp. He put off going to medical school to pursue his dream. Going in he was a long shot to make the roster. He has spent all off-season showing coaches and teammates alike, that he deserves a spot on the roster.
5. Lions Defensive Line- It is no secret that the Detroit Lions lost a leader of their defense when Ndamukong Suh signed with the Miami Dolphins in the off-season. In a trade, the Lions brought Haloti Ngata over from the Baltimore Ravens. They also signed Tyrunn Walker. The Lions also expected Caraun Reid to step up and fight for a tackle position. Both Reid and Walker have looked good throughout preseason, however after those two there is a serious drop. Same goes for the defensive ends. Last year's 4th round pick, Larry Webster, was expected to make serious strides from last season. Through the first two games Webster's production has been anything close to what the Lions imagined. Look for much better defensive line play than was exhibited against Washington.