Detroit Lions Offensive Position Battles Heat Up Against Pittsburgh

Offensive Line

The starters looked generally poor for the Lions on Friday, as Stafford was hit on nearly every dropback. Rookie left tackle Taylor Decker in particular struggled quite a bit, getting beat around the edge a few times in his limited action and his missed block was directly responsible for Matthew Stafford’s first quarter fumble. Riley Reiff seemed fine at right tackle after making the switch from left tackle this offseason. Michael Ola was the sixth lineman in, replacing Reiff at right tackle after the first drive.

Travis Swanson still leads the battle for center, but almost by default. Graham Glasgow showed some flashes as a blocker but struggled with his snaps and Gabe Ikard saw little action and was clearly the third man on the depth chart at center. Joe Dahl, the fifth-round rookie, had a very good game and made a strong case for his inclusion in the 53-man roster. He had a couple of rough plays, but he moved very well in space and got out in front of screens exceptionally well.

The depth chart probably has not changed much because of this game. The starters seem to be pretty well set for now, Ola is the number three tackle and Dahl is making a case to fight Geoff Schwartz for the third guard spot.

The Lions showed some good things on offense on Friday, they gained nearly 400 yards of offense, held possession for 34 minutes and converted 63% of their third downs. However, they committed a pair of avoidable turnovers and effectiveness of the ground game was only limited, gaining only 95 rushing yards.

Next: Detroit Lions Preseason Roster Stack

While the starters are not expected to change for the time being, the bottom of the depth chart is currently in flux at nearly every position. The team will cut the roster down to 75 players by August 30 and down to the 53-man roster by September 3.