Unsung hero from Lions' preseason win is stepping up at the right time

Preseason action is heating up, and that means several players are beginning to make a convincing case for themselves to stay on the Detroit Lions roster.

The Lions had a solid Week 2 of the preseason on both sides of the ball, beating the Washington Commanders 17-13. One of the standouts was tight end Jackson Meeks, who badly needed a big performance to remain firmly on Detroit's radar heading into another intense week of competition.

With his back against the wall, Meeks delivered at the perfect time. After being converted to tight end this offseason, Meeks had a fantastic day catching the ball. He racked up four receptions for 33 yards. His most impressive play came on fourth down, where he was the recipient of a Luke Altmyer pass on a scramble.

Later on the ensuing kickoff, Meeks made arguably the play of the game. He spiked the ball loose, allowing linebacker Erick Hunter to scoop the ball up and effectively seal the victory.

Dan Campbell was very complementary of Meeks after the game. As he said, his improvement has been impressive, especially as he learns a new role on the team and tries to put his fantastic traits to better use.

"I told him the other day, 'You just continue to get better.' He continues to grow. Tight end is still new to him. The good news is he's strong. (Has) athleticism. He was in the receiver room. He was a really big X. He's strong and he's willing and he's smart. It's just time on task."

Not only is Meeks impacting the play offensively, he has dominated special teams. That's something Campbell was quick to point out when it came to praising his overall game.

"He gives our guys fits on special teams, too. Some of these looks, whether he's on that team or he's opposite of the ball. We're really talking about on punt rush. He gives our guys fits. That was good to see. I thought he did some some really good things. Made some critical plays."

It was an impressive game for Meeks, and it came at the perfect time. Fellow tight end Sam LaPorta has been dinged up with injury, and his status is uncertain for the rest of camp and potentially even Week 1. That could leave the door open for Meeks to claim a role in the meantime.

Dave Fipp outlines why Meeks has a great shot to make Lions

While the catches were fantastic, the play of the game was likely made on special teams. Forcing a fumble on a kickoff return is one of the hidden plays that can tip an outcome in the course of a game. Meeks has been impressive on that side of the ball in addition to the offense.

Fipp, Detroit's special teams coordinator, recently explained to the media that it's important for players to have an across-the-board impact on a team. That means finding a way to be useful on special teams as much as their regular position.

READ MORE: 6 takeaways from Lions' fun preseason win against Commanders

"I tell the players now, you're going to make the team probably in two phases. You're going to have to play on offense and special teams or defense and special teams. The more that you can do, the better in modern football. If all you can do is play on special teams, you're going to have to be really, really special to make it just on that. You have to have some function. I think for the most part, we're looking for guys who can help in all areas. We end up playing a lot of players throughout the course of the year."

The last two seasons, Meeks has showed up well with that part of the game. It's excellent that in Week 2 of the preseason he was able to make that kind of statement with both offense and special teams. That could lead him to claim a roster spot when all is said and done.

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