Afrigather With the beginning offensive linemen entrenched, the Detroit Lions elected to dedicate the preseason to their second-team unit.
Gamers resembling Colby Sorsdal, Giovanni Manu and Kingsley Eguakun acquired loads of snaps all through the crew’s three preseason video games. Detroit has some choices to make up entrance, because the proficient group should be minimize down by Tuesday afternoon.
On Saturday, the second-team unit had its struggles working in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Whereas Detroit was not taking part in its starters, the Steelers performed a few of their starters on either side of the ball.
The Lions’ line struggled, notably on the primary few sequence when the Steelers have been in a groove on either side of the ball. This is what went improper early within the sport for Detroit’s offensive line, and the way it may be improved.
First possession
After Pittsburgh marched for a landing on its opening possession, the Lions and quarterback Hendon Hooker took the sector in search of the reply. With Dan Skipper down with an ankle harm, Sorsdal and Manu acquired the beginning at sort out. Michael Niese and Duke Clemens began at guard, and Eguakun was the middle.
Choosing up on a third-and-1, the Lions elected to dial up a brief cross for Hooker to try to keep forward of the chains. That is the primary time Hooker sees vital stress, as Pittsburgh rushes 5. The Steelers rush their 4 down linemen together with a linebacker, who winds up coming free.
As a result of Eguakun helps Clemens with the defensive sort out, he leaves the A spot susceptible to his proper. This enables the defender to shoot by unblocked. Hooker handles this nicely, shifting up into the pocket and delivering a strike to Shane Zylstra to transform a primary down.
Whereas the third down was profitable, it was solely the start of Detroit’s pass-protection struggles. The following three performs have been all sacks, leaving the Lions in a troublesome spot because of this with an eventual turnover.
The primary sack offers with the suitable facet of the road getting overwhelmed and the pocket collapsing rapidly. Significantly, Eguakun is rapidly overwhelmed out of place and Niese will get sidestepped. Sorsdal, in the meantime, does a very good job retaining his defender shifting upfield with a purpose to create a small lane for Hooker to step up into.
Nevertheless, simply as he steps up, Sorsdal’s defender disengages and is ready to deliver Hooker to the turf. It will’ve been a troublesome play for Hooker to try to drive the ball downfield, as he was unable to essentially get his toes set whereas stepping into his drop because the pocket collapsed rapidly.
On the second of the three consecutive sacks, Hooker offers with one of many obvious components of his sport that has bothered him all through coaching camp. He has displayed an inclination of holding onto the ball for too lengthy at factors all through the preseason, and because of this typically runs into bother.
On this snap, he goes by his progressions as he is on his drop. As soon as he settles, he begins pounding his toes and appears to ship the ball to his proper. Nevertheless, he hesitates, then hesitates once more earlier than the pocket collapses and he is hit for an enormous loss.
He has the time to throw initially, as the primary blocker does not come free till after the Tennessee product’s first pump faux. Keeanu Benton ultimately comes free for the Steelers, beating Clemens and attending to the passer for the takedown.
This play was the most important of the three, because it ended as a turnover. Now dealing with a third-and-long, the Lions are pressured to remain working by the air, and this play is doomed from the beginning. As James Mitchell motions from the suitable facet of the formation to the left, Colby Sorsdal turns into the final line of protection on the suitable facet of the formation.
The dangerous information is that Sorsdal will get overwhelmed out of place by Nick Herbig, who provides the blocker slightly stutter step that mixes up his rhythm. Sorsdal turns into flat-footed, at which level Herbig will get by him on his exterior shoulder.
Credit score to Herbig, who wins across the edge and targets Hooker’s throwing arm. The result’s a pressured fumble, which the Steelers get better. It serves as the beginning of Pittsburgh’s second scoring drive, which places them forward, 14-0.
Third possession
The Lions went three-and-out on their second possession, leaving them down 14-0 nonetheless as they took the sector for his or her third journey late within the first quarter. After a third-down scramble moved the chains for the offense, Hooker finds himself in some warmth as soon as once more.
On this play-action idea, Hooker’s choices do not come open as he finishes his drop and because of this he winds up holding onto the ball for too lengthy. Manu is locked on to his project, however the identical can’t be stated for Clemens and Eguakun.
Jermar Jefferson makes an attempt to assist out in pass-pro from the working again spot, so he assists with Clemens’ project. Eguakun’s project, Isaiah Loudermilk, comes free and will get his fingers up. This offers Hooker no downfield choices, and he goes down quickly after.
Fourth possession
With the earlier possession ending in a punt, the Lions have been missing any type of offensive momentum all through a lot of the first half. Regardless of Hooker’s finest efforts, the tides nonetheless weren’t altering on their fourth possession of the sport.
On this play, Pittsburgh brings stress with 4 rushers. Initially, Eguakun is the participant that does not face a rusher and he shifts down to assist the left facet because of this. Nevertheless, exterior linebacker Julian Welschof races round towards the quarterback from the left facet of the display screen.
As a result of Eguakun’s momentum was going to his proper, he is unable to get again to his left fast sufficient to push back the rusher. As that is occurring, Manu will get beat to his left and the pocket collapses round Hooker for a sack.
The decision
There’s optimism in regards to the Lions’ reserve offensive line, which has had its highs and lows all through the preseason. The unit has loads of younger expertise, resembling Sorsdal and Manu on the sort out positions. Consequently, a few of these safety struggles are merely rising pains.
Nonetheless, the Lions would’ve appreciated the pass-protection to be extra tidy on this displaying in opposition to the Steelers. It definitely wasn’t all on them, as Hooker’s indecisions led to among the sacks. However, the Lions, largely, have room to develop with their backups.
With the unstable nature of the place and accidents that come together with it, these depth gamers will possible be counted on to return in and play an enormous function for the Lions sooner or later this season. Consequently, video games like Saturday are necessary in the case of growth for this younger offensive line.
