Latest news with #TeSlaa
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Lions spotlight: 5 players to watch closely in preseason game vs Falcons
Russ Brown looks at five Lions to watch closely in Friday night's game in Atlanta The Detroit Lions play the Atlanta Falcons tonight for their second preseason game of the summer. Despite a lackluster performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Hall of Fame, there should be an expectation for improvement tonight. There are plenty of questions that need to be answered before the Lions kickoff the 2025 regular season but for now let's focus on 5 players for the game tonight! WR Isaac TeSlaa Regardless of the outcome in the Hall of Fame against the Chargers last week, it was a strong debut from Isaac TeSlaa. In that game, TeSlaa moved with ease on his routes and showed off plenty of speed as a gunner on special teams. He finished with 2 receptions for 46 yards and was one of the most productive players on the night for the Lions. Coming out of that game, it's been one of the most important weeks of practice this summer for TeSlaa. Mainly due to the fact that he saw time this past week in practice with the first team offense. As WR Tim Patrick struggles continue, TeSlaa has earned a bigger role in the offense and he's running full steam with it. There should be plenty of focus on his performance tonight. TE / FB Zach Horton It's unclear if the Lions will keep 3 or 4 tight ends on the roster. But Zach Horton may be a step ahead of players such as Shane Zylstra and Kenny Yeboah right now. Mainly due to the fact that Horton was utilized quite a bit last week as an H-back and fullback. The way it appears right now is that Horton has an edge over the competition. But continuously having strong performances throughout the preseason will be pivotal on Horton's roster spot. Look for him to be heavily used in the Lions second preseason game against the Falcons tonight. DE Ahmed Hassanien The debut for Hassanien was strong. Rarely looking out of place, it's clear that he belongs in Detroit and can contribute right away on this defensive line. Despite having reps against the Chargers where he got washed, it was mostly a positive start to his Lions career. Playing with good physicality and showing strong pursuit to the football, Hassanien looks the part up to this point. With Josh Paschal not scheduled to be activated until at least September, there's plenty of time and opportunity for Hassanien to define his role on the Lions defense. WR Tim Patrick Rather than Tim Patrick, this would have been fellow WR Dominic Lovett. However, it doesn't appear that Lovett (abdomen) will be playing this week. That said, if Patrick does play, it would be promising to see positive production from him. It's worth noting that Patrick left practice early on Wednesday but there's no further news on his status at this time. One season removed from rejuvenating his career in Detroit with 33 receptions for 394 yards and three touchdowns, it's been a slow start for Patrick. Looking like he's somewhat lost in the shuffle, it would be encouraging to see Patrick play two or three drives for the Lions offense tonight. As mentioned above, all eyes should be on TeSlaa and Patrick for the Lions 3rd receiver spot on offense. OT Giovanni Manu Last week I was supposed to do a film study on Giovanni Manu. Unfortunately, it was a very vanilla performance from the second year offensive tackle out of British Columbia. There were instances of him handling a blitz or T-E stunt just fine but other reps where his hands hit too wide or too high. Fortunately, Manu should get plenty of reps in the game against the Falcons. With Dan Skipper dealing with an ankle injury, we should see Manu start the game and potentially play most of the first half. Despite looking more controlled and quicker than a season ago, there's still some inconsistencies within his game. Building off last week will be important as the Lions begin to shape their 53-man roster for this season.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Isaac TeSlaa, Ahmed Hassanein among Lions players to watch against Falcons
They say the biggest improvement comes from Week 1 to Week 2. Does anyone know if that extends to the preseason? The Lions will soon find out, hoping to put an ugly 34-7 loss to the Chargers last week in the rearview. Despite the loss, several young players performed well and gained some momentum in that game. They'll look to carry it into Friday night's contest vs. the Atlanta Falcons, and if they do, it'll go a long way toward the coaching staff's evaluation of them — and perhaps their chances of making the roster. Advertisement Here's who we have our eye on: TeSlaa is developing at a rapid pace, and the more he impresses in training camp and the preseason, the harder it'll be to keep him off the field once the regular season arrives. He catches everything with his hands when targets come his way. When they don't, the first thing he's doing is looking for a defender to block. That's how you earn reps for this staff, and TeSlaa has started to earn first-team reps — albeit, sparingly. The Lions will let him continue developing and still have Tim Patrick in the fold for 2025, but TeSlaa is the future here. He can work his way into the present with continued growth in these games. .@TeslaaIsaac with his first NFL reception#PFHOF25 | 📺 NBC — Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 1, 2025 Maybe I'm just a sucker for a fullback, but I really like what I've seen from Horton in training camp. He's a throwback player — a guy here for his blocking first and everything else next — and the Lions have used him as such. We've seen him line up as a fullback in I-formation, motion pre-snap to get a running start blocking in space and so much more. They've gotten creative with him. Has he done enough to earn a spot on the roster? No, not with veterans like Shane Zylstra and Kenny Yeboah battling it out. Horton is on the outside looking in, but he brings a different element to this group. Curious to see if he can play his way into the TE3 conversation before it's all said and done. If not, perhaps the practice squad. If you ask Dan Campbell, he'll tell you he thinks Manu is trending up after a solid preseason performance vs. the Chargers. If you ask Manu, he'll tell you he wasn't good enough. Manu is hard on himself because he wants to do right by the organization, and sometimes, it overshadows the bigger picture — that this is all part of the learning curve. Advertisement Manu spent last week as Detroit's first-team left tackle, with Jamarco Jones and Dan Skipper unavailable. He went from facing the Chargers' third- and fourth-string edge rushers to, uh, Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport. However, the fact that he's getting first-team reps he otherwise wouldn't will allow the coaching staff to evaluate where he's at, and give Manu a sense of how to operate against NFL starters. The hope is the week with the varsity squad will prepare him for what he'll see Friday evening. Once a bit of an afterthought this camp, Sorsdal is trending up because of his versatility. He's repped at center, guard and tackle two and a half weeks in — somewhat out of necessity — but looked particularly sharp spelling Kayode Awosika at guard in the Chargers game. Sorsdal was inactive for most of the 2024 season, which was a step back after a rookie season in which he received meaningful game reps. But he finally has momentum. There's a chance he gets some run at tackle with Skipper and Jones likely out, and if he can look good doing it, it will only increase his value. A strong performance vs. the Falcons would do wonders for his stock. The Lions' defensive tackle depth is somewhat thin, so coaches have been looking for potential help with Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike and Mekhi Wingo all out for varying lengths of time. One player who's stepped up is Cooper. The UDFA has played three-technique, 4i, some edge — whatever's asked of him on a given snap. We've seen him blow up run plays in the backfield and shed his blocker for would-be sacks in practice. Translating that to games is the next step, and if he can do that Friday, he'll inch closer to locking down a roster spot and perhaps keeping Detroit's UDFA roster streak alive. Lynn had a good chance of making the roster as an UDFA last year before a season-ending leg injury. He had momentum and showed promise as a pass rusher. Now he's back, showing some of the same promise he did a year ago. Advertisement At the very least, Lynn feels like a player to stash on the practice squad as he continues to develop. But the Lions could be without Josh Paschal for the first three to four weeks of the season. If they'd rather fill that void internally, taking a closer look at Lynn makes sense. He was credited with a team-high three pressures in the Hall of Fame Game, and should get another strong opportunity against Atlanta. Debut episode of 'Lions Collective' with @Justin_Rogers, @burchie_kid and @jeffiafrate airs live at 6 p.m. ET! We'll be talking all things training camp and getting you ready for Friday's preseason game vs. the Falcons 🏈 Check us out here: — Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) August 6, 2025 At this point, Hassanein feels like a roster lock. The front office used draft capital on him, he's learning at a lightning-quick pace and represents everything they're about. They're not going to chance losing him to another team, particularly after his preseason debut. He was impressive vs. the run and showed his motor as a pass rusher. Per PFF, he had one pressure, three run stops and led all Lions with a grade of 85.7. That's good stuff, and when you watch his performance, you saw him shedding blocks and getting into the backfield. He was impressive. The question now is: How much can he contribute when the regular season begins? These games could help determine that. All three of Detroit's young safeties have a chance to separate from the pack Friday, and each player brings something different to the table. It makes for a fascinating discussion. Strickland made the Lions' initial 53-man roster as an UDFA a year ago — largely because of his special teams contributions. As a back-end player, it's the best way to show value and keep yourself in the mix while honing your defensive craft. However, when the Lions' secondary was tested by injuries late in the 2024 season, they turned to a fellow rookie UDFA in Norris — perhaps proving that he's further along defensively than Strickland was. Norris is a heat-seeking missile always looking to make a play, and has been tossed out of camp for being too physical. Now that he's facing other teams, that will be a welcomed sight. Both he and Strickland have been mainstays with the second unit in training camp, so it appears to be a matter of preference for the fourth and final safety spot. Advertisement The wild card here is Kennelly, a UDFA out of Grand Valley State. He's intriguing. He moves well, covers ground and tackles like a linebacker. He missed some practice time with an injury but is back in the fold with a chance to prove his worth to the coaching staff. Curious to see if he can make a push here. Note: Seventh-round pick Dan Jackson was placed on injured reserve after a leg injury, likely ending his season. (Photo of Hassanein: Junfu Han / Detroit Free Press via Imagn Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Lions draft pick threatening to take struggling veteran's role
Detroit Lions draft pick threatening to take struggling veteran's role originally appeared on The Sporting News Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa might go from surprise draft pick to starter in his first season in the NFL. TeSlaa wasn't on anyone's radar when the Lions traded up to draft him in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft, but general manager Brad Holmes has never been someone who goes with the flow and it's clear the Lions think highly of him. That has become more evident as the offseason progresses, and especially lately. TeSlaa has reportedly worked his way into first-team reps. Meanwhile, veteran Tim Patrick, who is expected to be Detroit's WR3 behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, has struggled. 'Don't look now, but Isaac TeSlaa is starting to get sprinkled in with the first-team offense," Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network reported. "With Patrick battling inconsistency, and TeSlaa exceeding early expectations, the Lions are exploring what the rookie can do against higher-caliber defenders.' On top of flashing in practice, TeSlaa impressed in his preseason debut, also, when he reeled in two catches for a team-high 46 yards, with those receptions going for 24 and 22 yards. TeSlaa also showed he can make an impact on special teams after a strong gunner rep on one of the Lions' punts in the contest. Patrick was a solid contributor for the Lions last season, with his 394 receiving yards ranking fifth on the team, and third among wide receivers. However, as we've seen over the years, head coach Dan Campbell doesn't just hand big roles to players, so don't rule out TeSlaa passing Patrick on the depth chart if the veteran can't find his footing moving forward. MORE DETROIT LIONS NEWS Lions no longer have Teddy Bridgewater as fallback QB option Dan Campbell doesn't sound optimistic about Ennis Rakestraw Lions' D.J. Reed isn't happy with one of his 'Madden NFL 26' ratings Lions and Falcons make quarterback decisions for upcoming preseason game Jake Bates looking better than ever at Detroit Lions' training camp
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Isaac TeSlaa film room: Breaking down the Lions rookie WR's preseason debut game
It's always hard to gauge what a player can really do after just one preseason game. For the most part, you shouldn't overreact too much but through the Detroit Lions lone preseason game up to this point of the summer, there's been some encouraging development for a number of their players. One of those players is rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa. In the Hall of Fame loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last week, TeSlaa was one of the top performers on the offensive side of the football for the Lions. He finished the game with two receptions for 46 yards on three targets. He did all this while only playing 32 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Throughout the summer, we've seen TeSlaa stack good days on top of each other. That has continued as of this writing. For now, let's dive into the film to review how the rookie wide receiver did in his first career NFL action. Starting with the first reception we saw from TeSlaa in the Hall of Fame game, we go to the play above. One of the key takeaways I took from this game is how much the Lions ran plays out of their '12' personnel (one running back and two tight ends). That may end up changing if Zach Horton (#40) ends up making the 53-man roster but moves to fullback. That said, let's focus on Isaac TeSlaa (#18) and how he's aligned at the top of the screen. The Lions run a cool hi-lo concept on a bootleg pass with the offensive line sliding to the right. Spilling out from under the offensive line is TE Shane Zylstra (#84) to the flats. Running deeper downfield and across it is TeSlaa. Lions QB Kyle Allen (#8) quickly sees TeSlaa, who glides with ease. The quick and fluid movement is impressive by the rookie wide receiver. It's a big first down that was one of the better offensive plays from the Lions on the night. Moving to the next play, we'll see the Lions run only two routes downfield until a tight end check-releases. Focusing on the bottom of the screen, you'll see TeSlaa (#18) faced with off-man coverage from the Chargers. With the outside leverage from the cornerback, TeSlaa explodes to the middle of the field on a dig route. There's a chance that this is an option route (vertical/curl/dig) for the rookie wide receiver, but I digress. As the route continues to develop, quarterback Kyle Allen (#8) begins to extend beyond the pocket. Once TeSlaa gets past the safety down in the box, Allen fires it to the rookie wide receiver. As he secures the ball away from his frame, he turns upfield to gain some additional yardage for the first down. It's been an eventful 4 months for TeSlaa. First, he was drafted by his hometown team in the 3rd round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he's put together a strong summer camp. At this point, it wouldn't be surprising if we see the rookie receiver carve out a bigger role on the Lions' offense. On the Lions 'Inside the Den' YouTube series, it was revealed that the Lions may have bigger plans for him. Possibly even more impressive is that the Lions scouting department has been watching TeSlaa since his days at Hillsdale College. As a player, he was described as a "...natural hands catcher..." and that "he's everything that we look for in this culture. Tough, competitive, athlete.' Highlights of his blocking, run-after-catch ability and athleticism really stood out in the video. It may be tough for TeSlaa to take targets away from Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta, but he could develop into a productive pass catcher. Especially if the sluggish start from Tim Patrick continues into the regular season. We'll see how the preseason goes the rest of the way, but the rookie from Hudsonville, Michigan, is off to a good start.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Lions vs Los Angeles Chargers: 5 Things to Watch Closely
The NFL is finally back in action later tonight when the Detroit Lions hit the gridiron to take on the Los Angeles Chargers. Football fans can witness the Hall of Fame game at 7 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock. While the first preseason game is far from must-watch TV, for football enthusiasts, it's a welcome sign that more competitive matchups are on the way. The average fan may only tune in for the first five or ten minutes, but here's what they should be watching closely later tonight. Related: Can Isaac TeSlaa Be Electrifying? The Lions had the NFL's highest-scoring offense last season, but that didn't prevent them from selecting receiver Isaac TeSlaa in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. While TeSlaa is a lock to make the roster, the bigger question is how much of a role he can carve out on a Lions depth chart that features Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, and Kalif Raymond. Seeing TeSlaa in action tonight could give us our first glimpse of an answer. Related: Tyleik Williams: Man Amongst Boys? Knowing they wanted more of a dominant presence along their defensive line, the Lions targeted Ohio State's Tyleik Williams with the 28th overall pick in the first round. At 6-foot-3, 327 pounds, there's no question that Williams has NFL size. But as a first-round pick, he's expected to dominate in exhibition action, so let's see what he's capable of. Related: Will Tre' Harris Shine? Is the Chargers' receiver depth chart overhaul complete? Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are long gone, the latter isn't even in the NFL anymore. Replacing them are Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and now rookie second-round pick Tre' Harris. A shifty receiver, Harris is expected to carve out a fairly significant role in the Chargers' offense. and we can't wait to see how fast he looks on an NFL field. Related: Trey Lance: Bust or Hidden Gem? Despite being the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Trey Lance has only made five starts and a total of 12 appearances in the past four seasons. Yet, he's getting the chance to start the Hall of Fame game. Lance became a first-round pick thanks in part to his athleticism. Will his mobility be on full display tonight, or will we see the type of mistakes that caused both the 49ers and Cowboys to move on? Related: Is Chargers RB Omarion Hampton the Real Deal? If healthy, the Chargers should have a fairly potent backfield this season. Najee Harris is the model of consistency, topping 1,000 rushing yards all four years of his career. Yet, Hampton offers more big-play potential while still being able to fall forward on most occasions. If Hampton looks like a special player, he just might beat out Harris for the starting role by season's end. Visit LAFBNetwork for more Los Angeles Chargers news and rumors Related Headlines Report: Blue Jays Linked to Another Huge Upgrade Trade After Shane Bieber Acquistion MLB Trade Rumors: Updates on Mets-Robert, Alcantara, Padres-Miller Before 5 PM Deadline 2025 F1 Power Rankings: Hungarian Grand Prix Update Caitlin Clark's Enforcer Reveals WNBA Teams' Plan Against Her
