The Detroit Lions’ preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals gave the roster a little bit of everything. Some players helped themselves. Others left Thursday night with a tougher climb ahead.
For a handful of Lions, the problem wasn’t one disastrous moment. It was a night that made it harder to separate from the pack. In a preseason setting, that can matter just as much as the highlights.
Michael Niese was one of the players who came out of the game with questions hanging over him. He did help spring Raheem Blackshear for a 24-yard run with a good block, but his work at center was shaky.
One snap skipped off the turf for a 5-yard loss, and another bad snap had to be rescued by Luke Altmyer. The wet conditions were part of the picture, but the job still comes down to handling the football cleanly.
Niese also had a poor snap in a mid-game center appearance last season that led to a safety, and that was his last offensive snap of 2025. With injuries to Cade Mays and Juice Scruggs opening a path, he still has a real chance to make the roster - but he has to clean up the basics.
Dominic Lovett put up numbers, but they didn’t tell a flattering story. He finished tied for the team lead with three catches for 28 yards, yet he needed eight targets to get there and dropped two passes.
He also had a shaky night on special teams, bobbling one of his two punt returns. That leaves him fighting for two different jobs at once: receiver and returner.
The one thing working in his favor is that no other Detroit receiver really seized the moment either.
Luke Altmyer’s night was more complicated. There was plenty to like in the way he pushed the ball downfield, especially on a 23-yard strike to Cedrick Wilson.
He showed pocket poise and had several strong throws. Still, he also finished with two interceptions, though one came on a drop by Isaac TeSlaa and the other came on a late, off-target throw in the final seconds.
Altmyer ended up 13-of-22 for 130 yards with a touchdown and the two picks. Joshua Dobbs, meanwhile, went 4-for-8 for 32 yards.
The issue for Altmyer is that this was his chance to separate from Dobbs, and he didn’t do enough to create real distance. Dobbs has only had the playbook for a few days, but with another week of practice, the competition could tighten even more.
Miles Frazier entered the game looking like a safe bet for the roster, but Thursday made that feel less certain. He was flagged for three holding penalties, and that followed a 2025 debut in which he was penalized twice for false starts before seeing only a limited workload the rest of the season.
He started at guard and was steady enough with the first group, but Christian Mahogany and Blake Miller drew more attention. Frazier later moved to left tackle and showed why his versatility matters, but he also got beaten badly on a sack.
Being able to play multiple spots helps, but only if the play at those spots holds up.
Payton Turner’s situation is different because he didn’t play at all, and that’s a problem at this stage. He needs snaps, and time is running short.
The bigger issue for him is that Detroit’s front seven had a strong enough night that a lot of the competition around him also helped its case. Ahmed Hassanein stood out.
Eric O’Neill was active throughout the game. Skyler Gill-Howard looked like a problem as a pass rusher.
Chris Smith and Myles Adams made their presence felt against the run. Even Ben Stille and Anthony Lucas had moments.
For Turner, that kind of crowded field only makes the pressure sharper.
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Lions Suddenly Face A Real Test At Center Up Front
Cade Mays injury has quickly turned a routine training camp storyline into a real depth-chart issue for the Lions up front. A wrist problem is expected to keep the center out for a stretch, and it comes at a moment when the team is already managing another absence inside, with Juice Scruggs working back from a soft tissue injury.
That leaves Detroit sorting through its internal options at a spot that asks for steady communication and reliability every snap. Seth McLaughlin and Michael Niese are the names being discussed most as possible stopgaps, and the reaction around the team has been mixed, with some fans uneasy about the uncertainty while others trust the coaching staff to piece the line together until everyone is available again. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Need Backfield Help More Than Fans Realized
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Williams, a sixth-round pick in 2019, brings experience and versatility to a room that suddenly needs both. He is now in the mix for a roster job, and for Detroit the bigger issue is less about splash than about finding dependable insurance as camp keeps testing the position group. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have An Anthony Richardson Decision Worth Watching
The backup quarterback spot has become a real point of interest in Detroit after Teddy Bridgewaters retirement left the Lions sorting through options behind Jared Goff. They brought in Joshua Dobbs and added rookie Luke Altmyer, but the position still carries some uncertainty for a team trying to keep its depth chart sturdy heading into the season.
Anthony Richardson only adds to the intrigue. Indianapolis has already moved forward with Daniel Jones as its starter and is looking for a trade partner for Richardson, and his latest preseason outing offered another reminder of why he remains one of the more watchable young quarterbacks in the league. For a Lions team keeping an eye on every available arm, that kind of situation is the sort worth monitoring closely. [Read more 🡒]