The Detroit Lions lost a close game in their preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, but that doesn't mean there weren't some fantastic performances along the way in the game.
There were multiple standouts on both sides of the ball for the Lions, and two of the biggest ones are young players that could find themselves as a key part of the roster depth for the franchise this season.
Offensively, running back Jacob Saylors was perhaps the main standout, rushing for 55 yards and also catching three passes for 28 yards. He ran hard and was an aggressive force just as he had been in practice for weeks. The Lions could use a fourth running back, and Saylors has the strong opportunity to be that guy.
Defensively, the best player on the field was easily Ahmed Hassanien. The second-year pass rusher was tough from the jump, securing two sacks on the night and securing four solo tackles. The franchise hopes he can be the answer to some depth questions on the edge, and provide some punch rushing the quarterback.
It wasn't just Lions fans who were impressed, though. Pro Football Focus analyst Gordon McGuiness put together a preseason team of the week for Week 1. Unsurprisingly, both Saylors and Hassanein made the cut on each side of the ball for Detroit.
While neither player won specific awards from McGuiness and PFF, they were still highlighted on the list. That shows they are a force to be taken seriously the rest of the way, and should give them some positive momentum throughout the rest of the preseason, and is a feather in the cap for each player.
Dan Campbell's eyes were opened by both players in first game
If the goal was for both Saylors and Hassanein to impress the coaching staff, it was mission accomplished in a big way. After the game, Campbell spoke to the media and provided some rave reviews of what the pair was able to do when given the chance.
When it came to Hassanein, Campbell believed it was a long time coming for the youngster, and he wasn't necessarily surprised given how he had practiced and the intensity he had gotten used to showing since joining the team.
"it was great to see, and I don't really feel like I'm surprised. I felt like he would come out and make plays. Just the nature of the way he's been practicing and some of the things that he's able to do, you feel like would translate into this preseason game. It was good to see. He just plays maximum effort and he's disruptive and he's going to learn from this and only get better."
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In terms of Saylors, Campbell admitted that he was probably the team's best offensive player as a whole, and has a chance to stick with the Lions thanks to the fact the team knows what he can do on offense and special teams.
"He was probably our most potent player on offense. I thought he made a lot of plays. He was kind of the study steady workhorse early in that game. If we were coming up with anything positive, he had most of it. I like where he's at. He does have some juice and because we lived with him last year, he can play some special teams, and that's going to be big for that next role."
Obviously, the duo will have to continue to impress in the days ahead in order to make sure they have the best chance at getting a good spot on the roster. For now, though, the strong Week 1 statement was a very good start, and should set them up well throughout the rest of camp and the preseason.
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