In a post-game evaluation of the Detroit Lions’ 14-3 loss to the New York Giants in the preseason opener, coach Dan Campbell singled out five standout performers from his team.
First on his list was Williams, who had a team-high four catches for 35 yards and led the team in kick return yards with 56 total on two attempts. Campbell praised Williams’ performance, stating, “He made some plays out there, and that was clear. He did some really good things that showed up.”
Campbell also highlighted sixth-round rookie Wingo, who saw a significant amount of playing time (31 snaps, or 53% of all defensive snaps) but did not record any stats in the box score. Despite this, Campbell was impressed with Wingo’s performance, saying, “I thought Wingo did some things. I thought you could feel him a little bit in there.”
Jefferson, a veteran linebacker and former third-round pick who was only recently added to the Lions’ roster, also caught Campbell’s eye. Jefferson played a lot in the second half of the game (45% of snaps), finishing with a team-high four tackles and a tackle for loss on a blown-up screen play.
Reflecting on Jefferson’s performance, Campbell stated, “I thought Malik made some plays at the linebacker position.”
Overall, Campbell’s evaluation of the Lions’ players following their preseason loss provided insight into the standout performances that caught his attention. From Williams’ playmaking abilities to Wingo’s presence on the field to Jefferson’s impactful tackles, the Lions have promising talent that shone through in their first preseason game.