After a 16-14 preseason opener loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Detroit Lions get one more tune-up at home Saturday, and coach Dan Campbell said a significant number of starters are expected to play against the Washington Commanders.
That gives the Lions a real chance to show some progress in front of the Ford Field crowd. Detroit is coming off a 2025 season that ended at 9-8, a step back after back-to-back NFC North titles and a missed playoff berth. Now, with their only home preseason game on deck, a few starters have the most riding on the performance.
Isaac TeSlaa is first on that list. The second-year wide receiver came into the preseason with plenty of buzz, but his opener against Cincinnati was rough.
He finished with no catches on three targets, dropped a pass that led to Luke Altmyer’s interception, and also couldn’t come down with a critical fourth-down throw late in the game. That’s not the kind of outing anyone expected from the 2025 third-round pick out of Arkansas.
Detroit will be looking for a much cleaner showing Saturday, and something closer to last year’s preseason home game against the Houston Texans, when TeSlaa caught two passes for 41 yards and a touchdown.
Blake Miller also has a chance to keep building momentum. The 2026 first-round pick out of Clemson made his preseason debut against the Bengals and held up well, showing quality snaps and handling NFL speed on the edge. Detroit drafted Miller to help shore up an offensive line that had issues last season, and his role could grow even more with the recent wrist injury to former Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays.
Then there’s Tyleik Williams, whose second season needs to look a lot different from his first. The former Ohio State defensive tackle played in all 17 games as a rookie, but the production never really came.
He finished with 18 total tackles and one sack, which is why expectations are so high now for the No. 28 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. If Williams gets on the field against Washington, the Lions will want to see a real step forward - the kind of outing that could give him some much-needed traction heading into a big year.
Lions-Commanders kicks off Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.
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Dan Campbells Lions Bet On Roster Depth After Another O-Line Setback
The Lions spent the 2026 summer without any joint practices, and Dan Campbells reasoning came back to the same place he has leaned on so often: roster depth and internal competition. With injury concerns part of the calculation, Campbell pointed to a group he believes can push itself without outside help, including several players who made the NFLs Top 100, a sign that Detroit feels it can keep its edge in-house while sorting through camp.
Cade Mays wrist fracture has only sharpened that test up front. The newly signed center is expected to miss 8-10 weeks, leaving Tate Ratledge and Juice Scruggs to handle the work at center for now and adding another layer of uncertainty to an offensive line already dealing with a setback. For a team that wants answers from its own locker room, the next stretch will say a lot about how real that depth actually is. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Get An Early Break In A Week 1 Matchup That Matters
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Lions Still Have Big Lineup Questions Heading Into Saturday
Saturdays second preseason game against the Washington Commanders comes with a familiar summer task for the Lions: sorting out a few of the most important spots on the roster before the games start counting. Right tackle is still up for grabs between rookie Blake Miller and veteran Larry Borom, while the edge rush picture has D.J. Wonnum and Ahmed Hassanein pushing to make their case. The secondary is no less unsettled, with Rock Ya-Sin seemingly in line to start opposite D.J. Reed and Keith Abney II battling Roger McCreary for the nickel job.
The back end of the defense has only become trickier with Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph on the physically unable to perform list, leaving Detroit to manage some early-season uncertainty at a premium position group. For a team that likes to build its identity on depth and versatility, these are the kinds of decisions that can shape how the first month looks, even if the final answers are still a little ways off. [Read more 🡒]