DETROIT — The Detroit Lions’ rookie defensive linemen were a force to be reckoned with in the team’s 17-13 victory over the Washington Commanders at Ford Field on Saturday, Aug. 22.
Second-round pick Derrick Moore had a pressure on the first snap of his preseason debut and strip-sacked Sam Hartman on the final play of the second quarter. Skyler Gill-Howard, the 205th pick, was in the backfield early and often, ending the day with several pressures, a tackle-for-loss and a quarterback hit.
Quarterback Josh Dobbs played the first and third quarters for Detroit; he finished 6-for-8 passing for 58 yards with two early turnovers but rebounded nicely with a 50-yard rushing touchdown to get Detroit on the board with 6:38 remaining in the opening quarter.
Quarterback Luke Altmyer played the second and fourth quarters; he was 9-for-13 passing for 86 yards.
The Lions’ pass protection left much to be desired at times — Altmyer and Dobbs were sacked a combined five times, including three sacks to Altmyer on the same drive and a strip-sack on the opening possession — but Detroit was efficient on the ground up until the fourth quarter. Running back Jacob Saylors had 32 yards on six carries and running back Trayveon Williams added 36 yards on 10 carries.
Tight end Jackson Meeks received six targets and caught four of them for a team-high 33 yards, including a 6-yard completion on fourth-and-3 to keep a critical Lions field-goal drive alive in the fourth quarter. Meeks capped his day with a forced fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Meeks knocked the ball loose from returner Robert Henry Jr.; undrafted rookie linebacker Erick Hunter recovered it for the Lions with 2:15 left.
The Commanders scored on the Lions’ second play from scrimmage. Dobbs tried to escape the pocket after offensive tackle Larry Borom was beaten by Commanders linebacker Joshua Josephs and didn’t see former Lions corner Amik Robertson, who was coming on a blitz. The ball was knocked loose and rolled toward the Lions’ end zone; after several failed attempts by Lions players to recover it, Josephs fell on it in the end zone for a Commanders touchdown, and it was 7-0 just 51 seconds in.
BOX SCORE: Lions 17, Commanders 13
The Lions picked up a first down on their second drive, but Dobbs turned it over again on third-and-6, sailing his throw over the middle to Tay Martin. The pass was intercepted by Quan Martin, Detroit’s second turnover in the opening 3:29.
Dobbs rebounded with a 50-yard touchdown at 6:38 in the first quarter. He kept a zone read on third-and-5 and received blocks from wide receiver Tay Martin and tight end Tyler Conklin to earn a free path to the end zone, tying the score 7-7.
The Lions set up for a 55-yard field-goal attempt with 1:47 left in the first half. Kicker Jake Bates pushed the attempt wide right, keeping the score knotted at a touchdown each.
The Commanders added a field goal with 8:45 left in the third quarter to take a 10-7 lead. Cornerback Keith Abney II, who was beaten twice in coverage during the drive, and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez smashed Washington quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis on a third-down blitz that led to a short completion to help Detroit’s defense get off the field.
Detroit took a 14-13 lead on a terrific series by Williams. He kickstarted the drive with a 24-yard reception, then added 9 yards on his next two carries before punching in the touchdown from a yard out with 0:01 left in the third quarter.
The Commanders got back within a point after a 55-yard completion to wide receiver Nick Nash, who separated against Lions corner Nick Whiteside. Gill-Howard, who nearly got a hand on Kaliakmanis’ deep completion, came up with a 3-yard tackle-for-loss on the next play to help get the Commanders off schedule and force a 32-yard field goal that made it 14-13, Lions.
The Lions reclaimed their 4-point lead with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter on a 37-yard field goal from Bates.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
@nolanbianchi
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lions’ rookie defensive linemen star in preseason win vs. Commanders
Reporting by Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
