Detroit — We assume the Lions will be led by their offense this season. We assume Jared Goff will direct an efficient attack, powered and protected by a staunch offensive line. We assume the Lions’ defense will be playing catch-up, as it usually is.
Uh, we might want to be careful with these assumptions. Nothing happened Saturday that will dramatically change anything, as the Lions sat virtually all their starters in a dreary 25-7 preseason loss to Jacksonville at Ford Field. But with the season opener at Kansas City less than three weeks away, it’s almost time for roll call. And when the final roster is set, there might be a bit of a surprise.
The defense, ranked 32nd in total yards last season, added all sorts of intriguing pieces, via the draft and free agency. The depth at linebacker, safety and edge rusher is noticeably improved. Perhaps more noticeable because the offensive depth is lacking, at receiver and on the line.
The offense, ranked fifth last season, could barely move using its backups against the Jaguars’ backups. Again, preseason, who cares, right? But this is a theme to monitor, and again underscores the loss of Jameson Williams, who’s done for the preseason and suspended for six games. Not many big-play receivers are popping in his place. The line is excellent when healthy, but that hasn’t been the case the past few seasons. Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow is still dealing with an injured toe that limits his practice time.
The Lions’ reserve linemen got run over by Jacksonville’s reserve defense. Teddy Bridgewater made his debut as Goff’s backup and couldn’t do much. He was sacked on the first play, fumbled a handoff and completed five of 11 passes for 34 yards. Nate Sudfeld did a bit more, leading the Lions’ only touchdown drive, capped by a 1-yard pass to Chase Cota.
The Lions were 1-for-12 on third-down conversions and finished with 131 total yards, compared to the Jaguars’ 399. There were dropped passes, missed blocks and a general messiness that was gruesome to watch. On the one hand, preseason games are designed to be gruesome. On the other hand, some of those backups will have to be on the roster.
“You don’t like to lose that way, but then also you try to keep it in perspective,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “It is about evaluation and trying to put these guys in position to where you can find out about them a little bit. And I felt we found out about a few guys.”
Help wanted
They didn’t necessarily find what they were hoping to find. GM Brad Holmes’ goal was to get more explosive on offense and give coordinator Ben Johnson more dynamic options, and that still can happen. First-round running back Jahmyr Gibbs has shown speed and shiftiness, and David Montgomery was a good pickup. So was rookie tight end Sam LaPorta.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is a brilliant receiver but not a deep-ball gamebreaker, and I’m not sure who is. No mo’ Jamo for now. Gibbs as a runner and receiver? Yeah, that’s the plan, yet unproven. Marvin Jones Jr. is a dependable, experienced target but he’s 33. Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds have their moments. Beyond that, it’s such a jumble, Holmes keeps looking for help.
He traded with the Jets for Denzel Mims, who got hurt and was released. Holmes’ previous low-level trade pickup, Trinity Benson, is still trying to make something happen. Former Charger Jason Moore was just signed. Seventh-round pick Antoine Green is a possibility, as is Cota, an undrafted rookie from Oregon.
Cota had two receptions for 9 yards, after posting four catches for 60 yards the previous week against the Giants. He thinks he can provide what the coaches are looking for.
“I wish I’d gotten some deep-throw opportunities, but I can’t complain with what I got,” Cota said. “In practice, when the ball comes my way, I feel I’m always on top of things. I have confidence, so I hope that gives the coaches confidence in me.”
Oddly, gradually (and not necessarily permanently), confidence has shifted a bit toward the defense. The Lions have so many edge rushers, starting with Aidan Hutchinson, they won’t be able to keep them all. (Hmm, trade a defensive end for a receiver, Mr. Holmes?) Charles Harris is slated to start at the other end, with a healthy John Cominsky charging hard. Romeo Okwara, who had 10 sacks three seasons ago before tearing an Achilles, has been running with the third team. His brother Julian had three sacks against the Giants but hasn’t cemented his role.
Neither, amazingly, has James Houston. He busted out as a rookie with eight sacks in seven games, but he has been up and down the depth chart. He played a lot Saturday and finished with six tackles and a sack. Still in the mix are high draft picks from previous seasons who are healthy now — Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike.
Shifting stock
Perhaps most improved and most impressive on defense is the linebacking corps. Alex Anzalone anchors the middle alongside Derrick Barnes, while first-round pick Jack Campbell is adapting quickly. Malcolm Rodriguez, last year’s surprise riser, and veterans Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Anthony Pittman add to the versatility.
“I really love that (linebacker) room, really love it,” Campbell said. “We have a ton of confidence in all those guys, and I feel they all bring something different, and they all continue to get better. Barnes is playing at a high level and I feel like Jack has gotten better every time he’s suited up.”
So that’s the positive as training camp winds down, with the preseason finale at Carolina on Friday. The secondary has been nicely fortified with the signings of C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Cam Sutton, and the arrival of second-rounder Brian Branch, who’s knocking (and turning) heads.
The concern, for now, has slid to the other side of the ball. Few teams have tons of offensive line depth, but the Lions will be tested. Same with the receiver room, which Holmes will keep trying to fill.
“Yeah, we’ll look at this tape and find the guys we can rely on,” Campbell said. “Brad and his crew are looking at everything, and it’s not just our own squad. They’re looking at 31 other teams too, so we’re always evaluating. We’re going to take the positives out of this game and learn, but we’re also going to find the negatives and what can be done about them.”
Bridgewater should be dependable once he gets fully acclimated, and as long as Goff stays healthy and mostly mistake-free, the offense will be fine. But it’s supposed to be better than fine for the Lions to contend in their division.
I wouldn’t put too much stock in the joint practices and preseason games, except that’s all we’ve seen so far. If people are worried about the offense, they can shift some stock to the defense, which might be upgraded enough to finish in the league’s upper half. That could be vital, in case it takes a while for the offense to refine its shine.
bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @bobwojnowski