The Detroit Lions are currently playing a real football game. After months of waiting, the preseason is here and the Lions will begin the season against the New York Giants.
As expected, the first half of this game was not pretty. Both teams lost the ball and neither passing attack was particularly impressive. The Lions’ offense was led by backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld and the unit looked lackluster.
In the first half, the Lions gained just 87 yards and managed just three first downs. The unit averaged a miserable 2.6 yards per play and Sudfeld was sacked three times. At halftime, the Lions trailed the Giants 14-3.
Let’s go through three things that stood out in the first half.
3 things that stood out for Lions
Nate Sudfeld fights
Nate Sudfeld is currently ranked ahead of Hendon Hooker, and after this first half of the game, that might not be the case in the next. Sudfeld finished the first half with 40 passing yards, completing 7 of 15 attempts.
The quarterback also threw an interception and was sacked three times. Sudfeld looked uncomfortable behind a shaky line and was unable to build momentum, and his passes were inaccurate.
It will be interesting to see if Hooker can do anything in the second half, but Sudfeld hasn’t helped him so far.
Sione Vaki impresses
The most impressive player on the Lions offense in the first half was undoubtedly Sione Vaki. The rookie running back needed four carries for 29 yards, which equates to 7.3 yards per attempt.
.@sione_vaki Demonstration of the movements on the way to a pickup of 15#DETvsNYG | 📺 Lions TV Network pic.twitter.com/lDwI2lHhjd
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) 9 August 2024
Vaki looked explosive and showed his solid vision on several runs. The best run was a 15-yard run that gave the team one of only three first downs in the half. Vaki continues to shine even after a strong offseason.
Jake Bates gets the much-needed kick
Jake Bates has been feeling the pressure lately. The former UFL star player struggled in training camp, and some called for the team to compete.
Bates got a chance to prove himself in the first half, and he took advantage of it after converting a 53-yard field goal that gave the Lions their first points of the preseason.
Jake Bates is 💰 from 53❗️#DETvsNYG | 📺 Lions TV Network pic.twitter.com/va1B5v1oH1
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) 8 August 2024
Due to his poor offensive performance, Bates has not yet gotten a chance to score an extra point. It will be interesting to see if the kicker can land a few more kicks before the game is over. There is no doubt that Bates needed to land this kick to get back into good position.
