Ten New York Giants that will test the Detroit Lions

Saquon Barkley

The preseason is essentially a series of eleven one on one drills occurring at the same time. Barkley is going to win the vast majority of his one on one matchups. Of course, Barkley may have injured his leg yesterday in joint practices with the Lions. There is a good chance that his reps will be very limited if he plays at all. Jonathan Stewart does not provide the same level of test at all.

This is an opportunity for Lions linebackers to earn a job. The man who can handle Barkley in the open field gets a starting gig. The Lions linebackers were not particularly effective against the Raiders running backs, particularly in pass coverage.

Jarrad Davis is the player that the Lions, and the entire fanbase, are hoping can get this job done. Nobody should be holding their breath, however, that he suddenly figures everything out. Davis seemed to be a step late all of 2017, and our brief look at him against Oakland was quite familiar.

Christian Jones tied up Christian McCaffery effectively last year for the Chicago Bears. His experience far outweighs his competition for snaps with the Lions. That experience advantage means he is thinking less and acting more. He may not have the elite athletic traits of a high-end draft pick, but he knows how to get into position to make simple plays.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin has been drawing praise from coaches. Athletically he is the only one of the group that would seem to have a shot at containing Barkley. he looks like he has been shot out of a cannon once he diagnoses a play. Lions fans could be forgiven for drawing comparisons to a young DeAndre Levy.

Like young Levy, however, it seems to be taking some time for Reeves-Maybin to make that diagnosis. He was caught in no man’s land for the Raiders first touchdown pass of the evening. Going fast, but getting nowhere is a reasonable depiction of what we have seen from Reeves-Maybin so far.

Wayne Gallman and Jonathan Stewart will provide a test for the Lions backup linebackers, assuming Barkley has no serious concerns and suits up. This test evaporates entirely for the starters though if Barkley doesn’t play any meaningful snaps. Given his injury in practice yesterday, it is unlikely that we will see him this week.

The second week of the preseason is infinitely more informative for viewers than the first week. Matthew Stafford and Ziggy Ansah will actually play this week, for example. Most of the starters typically stay on the field for a quarter, rather than a drive or two. The preseason doesn’t indicate success on a teamwide basis, but individual players matchups will be more meaningful.