The first half was ugly. The second half, arguably worse.
The Lions rested approximately 30 players, including every known starter, sleepwalking through a 27-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the preseason finale Thursday night.
Jace Billingsley exploded for seven catches and 80 yards in last year's preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills. He even caught a touchdown.
Tion Green led them in receiving with four catches for 87 yards, and led them in rushing with 63 yards on eight carries.
But only one potential offensive or defensive starter even appeared in the game for Detroit (linebacker Antwione Williams), which means everyone out there was on the roster bubble at best.
As mentioned, linebacker Antwione Williams is the only offensive or defensive starting candidate to appear in the game.
The rest of the defense went like this: DE Armonty Bryant, DT Ego Ferguson, DT Khyri Thornton, DE Jeremiah Valoaga, LB Jaylen Reeves-Maybin, LB Steve Longa, CB Teez Tabor, CB D.J. Hayden, S Corey Washington and S Don Carey.
Diggs has locked up a starting job in the nickel. There's no way Detroit would have started Hayden and played him so much if he was going to be starting against Carson Palmer next week. Diggs is your guy in the slot.
-- Kerry Hyder played his way onto the roster last year by erupting for three sacks in the preseason finale against Buffalo. But the Lions didn't get that kind of clarity tonight at defensive end -- in fact, quite the opposite. V
aloaga and Alex Barrett didn't record a single tackle until the second half, despite steady snaps. Barrett lined up in the neutral zone too. Twice, actually. And he did it on the game's first two series.
Pat O'Connor was similarly underwhelming (although a penalty for unnecessary roughness on the QB was bull you-know-what). Detroit opened camp by facing serious questions about how it would protect Matthew Stafford at left tackle.
It ends the preseason facing serious questions about how it's going to rush the passer, especially if Ezekiel Ansah isn't the same after his long layoff.
Jake Rudock started at quarterback and played the first half, completing 6-for-9 passes for 41 yards. Kaaya, a sixth-round pick out of Miami (Fla.), led the Lions to their only two touchdowns of the night.
Kaaya finished 12-for-20 passing for 182 yards, and threw his second touchdown of the game to Dontez Ford with 3:32 to play. He also threw a bad interception in the end zone and lost a fumble when Storm Norton got beat for a sack on the Lions? final offensive play.
The Lions used Thursday?s game to take a final look at players on the roster bubble, including Green, receivers Jace Billingsley and Jared Abbrederis, and defensive ends Alex Barrett, Jeremiah Valoaga and Patrick O?Connor.
Abberderis lost a fumble on his only reception of the game. Billingsley had two catches for 2 yards, muffed a punt and fumbled a kickoff, both of which he recovered. And the Lions? toothless defense had only one sack, by rookie linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
INJURIES
Lions: OL Cornelius Lucas left in the second half with an ankle injury.
If it was a neck-and-neck battle between Jared Abbrederis and Jace Billingsley for the fifth wide receiver spot coming into the game, I?m not sure anything changed in tonight?s game. Both players contributed in the offense and return game but both had shaky moments ? Abbrederis with a fumble and Billingsley with unsure hands on a late punt return.
Stock Up: Cornelius Lucas, OT
Stock Up: Leo Koloamatangi, OC
Stock Up: Tion Green, RB
Stock Down: Teez Tabor, CB
Stock Down: Jake Rudock, QB
Stock Down: Jace Billingsley, WR
Stock Up
Jamal Agnew, CB - Agnew played a little and was up and down, but it?s his lack of ST snaps that lands him here. It?s likely if he?s making the roster for ST ability, he already has.
Thurston Armbrister, LB - Armbrister made a special teams tackle, so ST playmaking! Too little, too late, most likely.
Alex Barrett, DE - Barrett played almost the entire game, and while his roster spot isn?t locked up, I have a feeling he?s got a good shot.
Nick Bellore, LB - Bellore made a few plays in this one, and while he?s not likely making the final roster, he?s shown enough for a team to pick him up.
Connor Bozick - Bozick didn?t play much prior to this game and isn?t making the final roster. He had a few moments that looked alright, though, an improvement over before.
Don Carey, FS - Playing deep into the fourth preseason game probably isn?t a good sign, but Carey made a few good plays and we haven?t seen much of that.
Joe Dahl, OG - Dahl was inactive, so he?s got a roster spot! Huzzah?
Quandre Diggs, CB - Have to think Diggs is locked on the roster at this point, barring a trade.
Dontez Ford, WR - The WR as a whole looked really bad, but Ford had a couple catches that weren?t bobbled or fumbled, so give him a nod.
Jeremiah Ledbetter, DT - You can usually tell if a guy has played his way onto the roster if he sees little to no time in the preseason. Where was 98 against the Bills?
Derrick Lott, DT - Lott is a late addition, but he actually made some nice plays in this one.
Caushaud Lyons, DT - Pretty sure I saw 62 in the backfield a few times in the game. Never saw that number in a negative manner.
Rolan Milligan, FS - Milligan has made some plays this preseason and this was another good outing.
Scott Orndoff, TE - Orndoff is not making the final roster, but he might make the practice squad. Lions liked him pre-draft.
Greg Robinson, OT For a guy who wasn?t guaranteed to make the final roster when he was traded for, Robinson fended off his challengers and rested the last preseason game. Nothing left to prove.
Jeremiah Valoaga, DE - In a game where DL were jumping in the neutral zone or lining up offsides, Valoaga quietly had a good game that was relatively mistake-free.
Charles Washington, FS - Washington played early in the game and then sat, a potential sign he?s already secured a spot on the roster or practice squad.
Dwayne Washington, RB - With a no-show in the snaps column, we can write his name in pen on the final roster.
Paul Worrilow, LB - Worrilow may have won the starting SAM job as he didn?t see the field in this one.
Zach Zenner, RB - Zenner is healthy ? he practiced earlier this week ? and as a healthy scratch, his roster spot is likely secure.
Stock Down
Jared Abbrederis, WR - Abbrederis was fighting for the last roster spot, but he didn?t do enough to convince anyone. Mediocre ST work and lost a fumble.
Matt Asiata, RB - Asiata got a lot of work in the last preseason game and didn?t impress much with them.
Johnson Bademosi, CB - Bademosi isn?t a roster lock, in part because he was active in the fourth preseason game, and he didn?t play like he deserves the spot either.
Nick Becton, OT - Becton played the snaps of the last tackle on the roster. His play on those snaps matched the last on the roster as well.
Alex Carter, SS - Carter didn?t do anything bad in the game, but he got very little work despite being active and even then not until later. Probably not a good sign.
Ego Ferguson, DT - Ferguson has had a bad offseason and has done nothing to endear himself to the Lions or any other team.
Brad Kaaya, WR - Kaaya threw an unforgiveable pick in the end zone. At least he was trying to push the ball downfield, but doesn?t help if you give it to the other team.
Khari Lee, TE - If you?re a bubble player trying to win a spot, don?t drop passes.
Steve Longa, LB - Longa may be on the roster; he seemed to get snaps like he might be, but his coverage skills need work.
Giorgio Newberry, DE - Like Ego Ferguson in training camp, I have no concrete proof that Newberry even exists.
Storm Norton, OT - Norton may make the final roster just because it?s so thin, but man was it a bad game for him.
Pat O?Connor, DE - The Lions seventh-round pick is probably the first draftee cut. Practice squad is where he?s headed.
Michael Rector, WR - Rector may be the weakest WR prospect I?ve seen in all my time covering the Lions.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB - He probably deserved a spot up top with a whole write up on how much he struggled. His worst preseason outing by a wide margin.
Brandon Thomas, OG - The Lions liked Thomas? potential, but I saw nothing to suggest he?s in their long term plans.
Noel Thomas, WR - It?s good to see him healthy again, but Thomas did nothing to make me think he?s even destined for the practice squad.
Robert Tonyan, TE - Tonyan is likely a practice squad candidate, but the team might move on entirely after this outing. Limited special teams value is his saving grace.
Antwione Williams, LB - Williams wasn?t played like a guy who is expected to start at SAM, while Paul Worrilow didn?t even see the field.
On the defensive side of the ball, veteran linebacker Nick Bellore led he team with eight total tackles.
Defensive tackle Derrick Lott and defensive back Charles Washington both had seven tackles each.
And posting six tackles each were rookie cornerback Teez Tabor and linebacker Steve Longa.
The Lions? 2017 fourth round selection, linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, recorded four tackles as well as the team?s only sack.
