Lions vs. Colts Report Card: Grading Detroit’s loss in preseason finale

Defense- 2.5/5 Stars

Much like the offense, the defense crumbled in the latter stages of this game, particularly the run defense. The Colts ran for over 100 yards in the second half and finished the night with 165 yards on the ground including a touchdown in the final moments to put the game out of reach.

The pass defense showed some flashes of brilliance, but also fell victim to a lot of underneath concepts which slowly started to wear on the unit.

However there were some flashes, Derrick Barnes made his presence felt once again and Levi Onwuzurike did an excellent job crashing the pocket for the second straight week.

Additionally, Detroit’s defense showed a bend-but-don’t-break mentality, forcing field goal attempts on three of the Colts’ four red-zone trips.

Best defensive player: Austin Bryant 

Bryant had a different level of energy tonight, he was all over the field. He was pressuring opposing passers, shedding blocks in the run game, and making plays all around.

He was another player who really showed up to reinforce why he should be on this team. His career has been plagued by injuries thus far, but if he can stay healthy he would be a great depth piece for Detroit to play around with.

Worst defensive player: Jerry Jacobs

Jacobs didn’t play that bad, but he gave up multiple catches and no one else really stood out. Sure the Lions gave up a few big plays but no one really had a noticeably bad game.

It will be interesting to see if Jacobs sticks around on the practice squad given how much players such as Jeff Okudah seem to like him.