The Lions’ 14th training camp practice had the feel of a dress rehearsal in all but name. Detroit went into a scrimmage-style session Monday as it began work on the second preseason game, and head coach Dan Campbell said the team could use a significant number of starters Saturday against the Washington Commanders.
That game-like setup showed up in the tempo and the physicality. It also produced a day where the defense spent plenty of time making life miserable for the offense.
Detroit was again missing wide receiver Jameson Williams and cornerback Nick Whiteside. Williams is working through a shoulder injury, while Whiteside is dealing with a hamstring issue. Campbell said he does not expect either injury to be serious.
A handful of other players remained out as well, including Isiah Pacheco, Ben Bartch, Jimmy Rolder, Damone Clark, Mekhi Wingo and Payton Turner. Jacob Saylors returned to action.
The biggest defensive bright spot came from Ennis Rakestraw, who turned in one of his best days of camp. The second-round pick has had an uneven start to his career and has played just eight games so far, but Monday looked like a reminder of why the Lions spent that draft capital on him in 2024.
Working with the second-team defense, Rakestraw made impact plays all over the field. He opened with a tackle for loss on a blitz, then later came down with an interception after Christian Izien got a tip on the ball. He also delivered another corner blitz that forced a deflection and helped produce a fourth-down stop with tight coverage.
Eric O’Neill and Chuck Clark also added interceptions for the defense.
O’Neill’s takeaway was the kind of play that can change the tone of a practice. The undrafted Rutgers product picked off a pass at the line of scrimmage and took it back for a touchdown. He already flashed in the preseason opener against Cincinnati with a quarterback hit, and he continues to make a case for himself in a crowded EDGE group.
The offense, meanwhile, had a rough go for much of the day, especially up front. The line had problems in good-on-good work, with a shaky snap from Juice Scruggs and an early win for Alim McNeill over Tate Ratledge standing out.
The second unit had its own issues handling pressure. Rakestraw’s blitz caused problems, and Kelvin Sheppard added more heat when Christian Izien came on a third-down blitz to end the first series.
Ahmed Hassanein kept showing up, too. His pass rush forced Luke Altmyer into an off-target throw, which led to the tipped ball that Rakestraw intercepted. McNeill also logged a tackle for loss on Jacob Saylors, and the second-team defense later got to Josh Dobbs with back-to-back sacks from Chris Smith and a combined takedown by Hassanein and Anthony Lucas.
Ben Stille also made his presence felt. The veteran free-agent addition has opened his Lions stint strongly, and Monday was another productive outing against the second-team offensive line.
Detroit did have a few offensive highlights amid the struggles. Isaac TeSlaa hauled in a third-and-long conversion after the offense had been pushed back, and Cedrick Wilson added a 22-yard catch.
The first-team offense found the end zone when Jared Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown for the opening score. The second team answered with a Luke Altmyer fade to Lucky Jackson against Khalil Dorsey.
The final scoring play came when Goff connected with tight end Sam LaPorta, who got a strong block from TeSlaa to finish the play in the end zone.
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