On Saturday afternoon, the Detroit Lions will take on the Indianapolis Colts in their second preseason game of the year and there are a few “bubble” players you should be watching very closely.
Following their game, the Lions will then have until Aug. 23 to cut five more players to get their roster down to 80.
Though I don’t believe any of these players will be cut after this game, here are five Lions players on the “bubble” that I believe you should be watching closely during Saturday’s game against the Colts.
5 Detroit Lions bubble players to watch against Indianapolis Colts
Heading into the Detroit Lions’ first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, most seemed to believe that Tim Boyle had the upper hand to win the backup QB job behind Jared Goff. That being said, Boyle looked very bad against the Falcons and when David Blough took over, he clearly looked like the better of the two (minus his crucial fumble at the end of the game).
It is doubtful that Goff plays at all on Saturday against the Colts and it will be very interesting to see who Dan Campbell puts in first, Boyle or Blough.
I still believe the Lions will only keep two quarterbacks on their roster so Boyle and Blough are not just playing for the No. 2 spot on the team, they are playing for their life as a Detroit Lion!
Riley Patterson and Austin Seibert
Dan Campbell recently noted that Austin Seibert had the edge over Riley Patterson in the kicking competition but things can change quickly in training camp.
“I thought they both did a good job. But I felt really good about Seibert. I feel like he’s, right now, if you’re asking me today, he’s a tick better,” Campbell told reporters back on Aug. 8.
Since that comment, nothing has really happened in the kicking competition to make me believe the pecking order has changed but how the two perform in the next couple of weeks will go a long way in determining a winner.
During the offseason, the Lions surprised some people when they announced they were bringing back veteran LB Jarrad Davis for a second go-around.
The 2022 Detroit Lions are not exactly stacked at the linebacker position, which gives Davis a shot to make the final 53-man roster.
That being said, if Davis is going to make the final cut, he is going to have to prove to Dan Campbell and the Lions coaching staff that he can be much more consistent than he has been up to this point.
Personally, I am rooting hard for Davis to make the team.
Bonus “Bubble” player to watch: WR Tom Kennedy
Ok, I know I said there were only going to be five players that I will be watching closely on Saturday against the Colts but I would be lying if I did not say I will also have an eye on WR Tom Kennedy.
Now, I still think Kennedy is a long-shot to make the Lions’ final 53-man roster but if he keeps playing as well as he has (led the entire NFL with 104 yards in Preseason Week 1), he may just force his way through the final cut.
Kennedy is another player I am rooting for to make the Detroit Lions final roster.
