Five Things To Watch For When The Lions Take On The Bengals
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
The Lions play their first home game of the preseason tonight, welcoming the Cincinnati Bengals into Ford Field for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Detroit is coming off a 30-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Friday, in a game that featured the usual tinkering and testing of preseason football. Tonight will bring more of the same, so here are five variables to watch for the Lions.
Offensive Line Improvement
The Lions made several additions to the offensive line corps in the offseason, hoping to improve a unit that struggled in 2015. There's no doubt the team is deeper in this area a year later, but it remains to be seen if they're any better. The starting line against the Steelers consisted of Taylor Decker, Laken Tomlinson, Travis Swanson, Larry Warford and Riley Reiff, with Decker at left tackle and Reiff at right. That unit was faulty, at best, in protecting Matthew Stafford, and will need to show improvement in their second game together.
Andrew Quarless Debut
Looking to solidify a dicey tight-end situation, the Lions signed former Packer Andrew Quarless on Monday. A solid pass-catching tight end in Green Bay, Quarless has made headlines most recently for a gun incident that will cost him the first two games of the 2016 season. That the Lions were willing to sign him anyway suggests they envision the 27-year-old making a legitimate impact. The opportunity is certainly there for Quarless, who can take a big step in securing the starting tight-end job with a strong debut tonight.
Darius Slay Matchup
It remains to be seen whether or not Slay plays tonight, but if he does he'll likely lock horns with the explosive A.J. Green. Slay hardly needs to prove himself like some of the less experienced Lions, but he is searching for a measure of redemption after being outclassed by Antonio Brown in last week's joint practice with the Steelers. The Lions are paying Slay the big bucks to shut down the best receivers in the league, and Slay will get a second chance to prove he is up to the challenge in a potential matchup with Green.
Dwayne Washington Development
The Lions have a logjam at the running back position, and Washington is the last in line. Still, the speedy rookie is turning heads, and perhaps inching up the depth chart, with his stout work on special teams. He showed promise as a kickoff returner early in training camp and then took one 97 yards to the house in the preseason opener against the Steelers. If he continues to excel in this regard – and he will surely get another shot or two tonight – it will be hard to deny him a spot on the final roster.
Antwione Williams Encore
Success in the preseason should always be taken with a grain of salt, but linebacker Antwione Williams certainly stood out in his first NFL game. The fifth-round draft pick out of Georgia Southern led the Lions in tackles against the Steelers, stepping up amid a slew of injuries at the linebacker position. A high number of reps are likely to come his way again tonight, giving Williams a chance to validate his strong debut.
