4 Detroit Lions players under pressure in second preseason game
Will any of these Lions players make the final roster based on their performance Preseason Week 2?
By Ryan Heckman
On Saturday, the Detroit Lions will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Preseason Week 2.
The first week saw Detroit take home a victory, 21-16, over the New York Giants. Even though it doesn't mean much in the grand scheme, it meant everything to a few select players.
Speaking of a few select players, there are some that will need to make an impact against the Jaguars if given the opportunity. Some guys, more than others, are under added pressure as roster battles only intensify at this time of the year.
Let's look at four players, in particular, under pressure this weekend against the Jaguars.
1. Anthony Pittman, LB
At linebacker, the Lions are likely going to keep Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez behind two of the starters Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell. That might only end up leaving one spot remaining and it could be between veterans Anthony Pittman and Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
As of right now, Reeves-Maybin seems to have an edge according to some Lions outlets. Pittman didn't play particularly well in the Lions' first preseason game against the Giants. Pittman played a total of 24 snaps and garnered an overall grade of just 49.0 from Pro Football Focus in that one. He was graded especially poorly in pass coverage, which is not his specialty.
Where Pittman is going to make his hay is when he's rushing the passer and standing out on special teams. He played strong against the run versus the Giants and, hopefully for his sake, he gets more opportunity to do that and rush the passer in the upcoming contest against the Jaguars on Saturday.