Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
With week one on the books, and a loss no less, fans have understandably become a little antsy with how the season has started. After coming out guns a blazing against the San Diego Chargers, the Detroit Lions lost all of their moxy and stumbled through a second half that saw them find points only once. There are plenty of guys who saw their stock drop this week, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a silver lining. Some players did quite well for themselves, and they deserve equal billing. With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at the first stock report of the regular season for the Detroit Lions, starting with a rookie.
Stock Up: Ameer Abdullah
The Detroit Lions picked Ameer Abdullah in the second round of this year’s draft because they knew they had to do something about their terrible run game from 2014. Instead of going for a home run hitter, they took a guy they thought could give them chunks of yardage. Abdullah has done just as advertised so far in 2015, with his first run going 24 yards to the house. That run also included juking pro bowl safety Eric Weddle right out of his shoes, a good sign for any player trying to make their mark.
Abdullah had some fine work in the receiving and returning games as well, showing that he’s a valuable weapon no matter where you use him. Joique Bell may have started against the Chargers, but it was Abdullah who was leading the backfield both in snaps and touches. Can he continue to make that kind of impact in every game? The Lions are hopeful for that, and as their offensive showing in the second half indicated, they’ll need him.
It wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine for Ameer Abdullah. He notched his first fumble of the season this week as well. Fumbles were a serious issue for him coming out of Nebraska and while he managed to fall right on this one, it’s never good to let the football leave your hands as a rusher. The Detroit Lions should be hoping that’s the blip on the radar while the touchdowns and flashy play is more the norm.
Next: A Long Time Leader Falls