Heinz Field is notoriously one of the toughest places to kick in the NFL, yet one of Randy Bullock’s favorite NFL memories comes from his brief stint as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
Bullock, who is in a training camp battle for the Detroit Lions kicking job with Zane Gonzalez, signed with the Steelers in 2016, the day before a Week 13 game against the New York Giants.
With regular Steelers kicker Chris Boswell nursing an injury, Bullock learned the morning of the game he would be kicking. He worked with his long snapper and holder for the first time in pregame warmups, and promptly went out and made all three of his field goal attempts and only extra point try.
“I’ve played in the AFC North, so I’ve had my fair share (of games there),” said Bullock, who played just two games in Pittsburgh but spent parts of the past five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. “I’ve always performed pretty well, so I’m looking forward to it.”
The kicking battle is one of a handful of jobs still up for grabs as the Lions get ready for their penultimate preseason game Saturday against the Steelers (7:30 p.m., Fox).
Starters like Jared Goff, D’Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson are not expected to play again this preseason, but Lions coach Dan Campbell will use Saturday and next week’s preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts to make final evaluations before the Lions set their 53-man roster.
Bullock has had his ups and downs this summer. He missed two 40-plus-yard kicks wide left in Thursday’s practice and a pair of 50-plus-yarders in the team’s Ford Field practice, but was 3 for 3 in last week’s preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills, and made a go-ahead 28-yarder with 1:34 to play.
Gonzalez, who was perfect on his attempts Thursday, signed last week after the Lions cut Matthew Wright but did not kick against the Bills.
“I feel like I’ve done pretty well for the most part overall,” Bullock said. “We can only do as much as we can in team to try to make it live situations. Preseason games will matter, too.”
Here are six other position battles the Lions must sort out, and players whose performances will be in the spotlight Saturday:
Nickel CB: A.J. Parker vs. Nickell Robey-Coleman
Throw Mike Ford and Corn Elder in the mix too. Parker has taken first-team reps at slot cornerback the past two weeks; Robey-Coleman is the experienced vet who most assumed was ticketed for the job when he signed.
A three-year starter at Kansas State, Parker has had a strong camp and appears on the verge of clinching a roster spot. He played 23 snaps in Week 1 and should get a good test in the first half Saturday, when the Steelers have indicated they will play some starters.
Ford opened camp as the Lions’ starting nickel but has played outside cornerback the past two weeks. Don’t rule him out of the starting mix yet, as he will play on gamedays because of his special teams ability. Elder has battled a hamstring injury much of camp, but the Lions signed him over Robey-Coleman when both were free agents in the spring.
Backup ILB: Jahlani Tavai vs. Anthony Pittman
Linebackers coach Mark DeLeone said this week Tavai is “in a really good position” to make the roster. How true that is remains to be seen, but Shaun Dion Hamilton’s injury seems to made way for one of Tavai or Pittman to be the Lions’ fifth inside linebackers (behind starters Jamie Collins and Alex Anzalone, rookie Derrick Barnes and special teams ace Jalen Reeves-Maybin).
Tavai got beat for a touchdown in pass coverage last week, and Pittman made more tackles (four to one) in the same amount of snaps (22). Ultimately, how these two linebackers perform on special teams might dictate which direction the Lions go.
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No. 3 TE: Alize Mack vs. Brock Wright
The Lions are down to four tight ends on their roster, and there’s probably only room for one of Mack or Wright to make the team behind Hockenson and Darren Fells.
Mack is a better receiver; Wright is the better blocker. The Lions could make a stylistic choice for their No. 3 tight end, though Campbell has indicated he wants someone who can execute multiple assignments. Special teams will factor heavily into this decision, too, so keep an eye on how Mack and Wright fare on the punt teams.
No. 4 WR: Breshad Perriman vs. Quintez Cephus
Both Perriman and Cephus seem destined for roster spots, but I’m not sure the Lions will have the luxury of keeping both active on gamedays. Tyrell Williams is the team’s No. 1 receiver. Rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown has been the best receiver in camp. Kalif Raymond is the return man and has earned the first-team reps he has gotten the past few weeks. That leaves Perriman, injured much of the summer and inconsistent before that, and Cephus battling for the No. 4 job.
I don’t know how much or even if Perriman will play against the Steelers and Colts, but Cephus should get plenty of reps and has a chance to earn a role in the playing group. Coaches say he has steadily improved since spring. Now, he has a chance to show what he can do in games.
Backup DT: Bruce Hector vs. Kevin Strong
The Lions finally appear to have good depth along their defensive line, with the injured Da’Shawn Hand and rookie Levi Onwuzurike locked into backup spots behind starters Alim McNeill, Michael Brockers and Nick Williams. Both Hector and Strong played well last week and may have inched ahead of another injured lineman, John Penisini, for a roster spot.
Strong had a team-high seven tackles and forced a fumble against the Bills. Hector had four tackles and a sack, and makes a standout play or two seemingly every day in practice. Both are firmly on the roster bubble, but have the opportunity to win a job if they play well enough over the next week.
Long snapper: Scott Daly vs. the field
Daly is the only long snapper in camp, but that does not mean he has assured of a Week 1 roster spot. A number of long snappers will come loose as teams make two rounds of roster cuts in the next 10 days. Steven Wirtel, who was with the Lions last year, is in a training camp battle with the Los Angeles Rams, and several experienced snappers remain on the market. Don Muhlbach’s release was largely about his late-stage career. Daly had one poor snap on a second-half field goal last week and can’t afford any missteps if he wants to keep the job.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.